ThinkWiki - User contributions [en]

Installing Ubuntu 5.04 on a ThinkPad T43 (1875)

2005-08-27T06:33:22Z

Adityanag:

I installed {{Ubuntu}} 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog" on a IBM {{T43}} 1875-E5U.

Before starting the installation, make a copy of the IBM system restore CD's. You can do this in Windows by going to the Access IBM Start Menu option, and clicking on Create Rescue Cd's. '''This is extremely important!!!''' In case you erase your IBM system rescue partition, or remove the BootLoader, these CD's are the only way you can restore your machine to Factory settings. You'll need six blank CD's, or one blank CD and one blank DVD, if you have a DVD-Writer.

Once this is done, install as usual. The only gotcha is the installation of the Boot-loader. There is a method by which you can save your current MBR, so that you don't lose the Access IBM button's functionaltiy, but I don't know it. Please update this page if you know.

I installed grub in the MBR of my hard disk. After rebooting, the Access IBM button was not working anymore. My rescue partition would not boot. After the text based installation ended, Ubuntu said that it starting X. Then I got a blank screen.

My machine has the [[Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900]] installed. To get X working, I had to edit the x.org file. I did this in the following manner:

*Press {{key|Ctrl}}{{key|Alt}}{{key|F2}} to get a Virtual Terminal
*Login as the user you made while installing
*{{cmd|sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup}} (keep a backup)
*{{cmd|sudo vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf}}
*scroll down to this section
Section "Device"
Identifier "Intel Corporation Intel Default Card "
Driver "i810"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection
*Change Driver "i810" to Driver "vesa"
*save and exit

After this, I used {{key|Ctrl}}{{key|Alt}}{{key|F7}} to come back to the X terminal, then {{key|Ctrl}}{{key|ALt}}{{key|Backspace}} to restart it. X started successfully.

The next thing to do was use the excellent [http://ubuntuguide.org Unofficial Ubuntu Guide] to set up various things.

After hunting around on the net, I came across two excellent guides. These are [http://columbia.edu/~em36/ubuntuhoarythinkpadt42.html Edward Mendelson's guide to Ubuntu on a T42] and [http://aaltonen.us/archive/2005/03/02/ubuntu-linux-on-the-ibm-thinkpad-t42/ aaltonen.us Ubuntu Guide]

I have reproduced sections from these two guides. The authors have been notified of this.

== Install a kernel for your Pentium 4 CPU ==

Use the Gnome menu System | Administration | Synaptic Package Manager, and search and install the two packages linux-686 and (while you are here) build-essential. The first of these installs the version of the kernel that specifically supports Pentium 4; the second provides essential files for â€œbuildingâ€ other programs if necessary. Reboot. The 686 kernel should be at the top of the list of boot options. Boot into it.

== Enable sleep and hibernation ==

Open a terminal and enter these commands:

sudo cp /etc/default/acpi-support /etc/default/acpi-support-backup
sudo gedit /etc/default/acpi-support

Edit the file by removing the # character at the beginning of the line that will look like this when the character is removed:

ACPI_SLEEP=true

Save the file. Next, in the terminal, enter:

sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst-backup2
sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

and go to the line starting #kopt. Add the following at the end of the existing line (replace /dev/hda5 with your swap partition, which you can identify by entering the command fdisk -l in the terminal

resume=/dev/hda5 vga=0x318

The vga=0x318 string forces the text-mode display during boot-up and shutdown to display in 50-line mode instead of the ugly 25-line mode. This string is perfect for a 1024x768 screen, but you might want something different. You might want to consult this full list of VGA modes for Linux. The #kopt line should look something like this (if you do not find the strings pci=noacpi and acpi_sleep=s3_bios then add them also)

# kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro pci=noacpi acpi_sleep=s3_bios resume=/dev/hda5 vga=0x318

If you intend to run the command sudo update-grub after you save the file, then save the file now. If you do not intend to run that command, then add these strings by hand to the kernel line that launches Ubuntu and reboot.

To suspend to RAM (sleep), press the ThinkPadâ€™s sleep button (Fn+F4); to wake up the system, press the Fn key, wait a few seconds, and press Ctrl-Alt-Backspace to restart the Xwindow graphic system.

To suspend to disk (hibernate), press the ThinkPad's hibernate button (Fn+F12), or use the option to hibernate the computer on the logout menu. Press the power button to wake the system; the desktop should reappear automatically.

== Install on-screen confirmation of the ThinkPad buttons ==

The program tpb (ThinkPad Buttons) makes all the ThinkPad-specific buttons and Fn-key combinations work as expected (some buttons, such as the ones that control screen brightness, are hardware-controlled and work under any operating system). As explained by Michael R Head in his post in this [http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=24685 thread] , the Ubuntu Hoary version of tpb does not support on-screen display (OSD) of the results of your actions. To correct this, download the latest Debian version of the program from the [http://packages.debian.org/testing/utils/tpb Debian.org] site (scroll down to the box under the heading "Download tpb").

Open a terminal, use the cd command to navigate to the directory in which you downloaded the package and enter:

sudo dpkg -i tpb*

On the Gnome menu, use System | Preferences | Sessions | Startup Programs and use the Add button to add the following command:

tpb -d

If you want the Access IBM button to start your screensaver, open a terminal and enter these commands:

sudo cp /etc/tpbrc /etc/tpbrc-backup
sudo gedit /etc/tpbrc

Edit the file by adding this line below the line that begins #THINKPAD /usr/bin, etc.:

THINKPAD /usr/bin/xscreensaver-command -activate

Save the file. In the terminal, run man tpb to learn about other ways to use the Access IBM button.

I believe some of the following steps may have performed automagically during installation (I simply don't remember whether they were or not), but you should perform all the steps anyway to make certain that everything is set up correctly.

First, in a terminal, enter the commands (replacing [username] with your username):

echo nvram | sudo tee -a /etc/modules
sudo addgroup nvram
sudo adduser [username] nvram

I don't pretend to understand exactly what this does, but the first line adds the string "nvram" at the end of the file /etc/modules; the next two lines create a group called nvram and add yourself to the group. Next, enter these commands in the terminal:

cd /etc/udev/permissions.d
sudo cp udev.permissions udev.permissions-backup
sudo gedit udev.permissions

Edit the file to make sure these lines are present (add them if necessary, perhaps to the top of the second set of lines under the heading # character devices:

misc/nvram:root:nvram:660
nvram:root:nvram:660

Save the file and reboot.

Note: the tpb program does not provide visual confirmation for the Fn+F5 button that toggles the wireless radio, but the button does toggle the radio on and off, exactly as it does in Windows. The indicator light works as well.

== Enable TrackPoint middle-button scrolling ==

To use the blue middle TrackPoint button as a scroll wheel, do the following. In a terminal, enter these commands:

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf-backup
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

In the editor, find the section headed Section â€œInputDeviceâ€ / Identifier â€œConfigured Mouseâ€ and the following lines above the â€œEndSectionâ€ line:

Option "EmulateWheel" "true"
Option "EmulateWheelButton" "2"

Save the file. Logout, restart X with Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, and log in again.

== Don't slow down boot-up by synchronizing with network time ==

Ubuntu pauses during boot-up while attempting to synchronize the system clock with a remote time server, but you probably aren't connected to the internet when you boot with a ThinkPad, so this attempt accomplishes nothing. . Eliminate this delay by opening a terminal and entering:

sudo chmod -x /etc/init.d/ntpdate

== Don't slow down boot-up when no Ethernet cable is attached ==

In Synaptic find and install the ifplugd package. After installing it, open a terminal and run this command

sudo gedit /etc/default/ifplugd

Edit the file by modify the lines INTERFACES="" and HOTPLUG_INTERFACES="" if no interfaces are listed or if the wrong interfaces are listed. You probably only want to test the hotplug status of the wired Ethernet connection, so the lines should read:

INTERFACES="eth0"
HOTPLUG_INTERFACES="eth0"

I don't pretend to understand these options fully, so please post corrections if I'm wrong. I've also modified the ARGS= line to add the string -b which silences the otherwise excessive beeping when you plug or unplug the cable. Save the file and reboot.

== Conclusion ==

In the end, Ubuntu turned out to be a beautiful distro to install. Most of it "just worked", and with a little tweaking, I have reached a level of functionality that eluded me with Suse.

Here's a quick summary.

Worked out of the Box:
Sound, Networking (wired and wireless), Power Management, Hibernate, ThinkPad Buttons (without OSD)

Worked after little tweaking:
Sleep, Middle button scrolling, ThinkPad Buttons OSD.

Did not Work:
IBM Rescue and Recovery Partition. Don't forget to make the Rescue CD's

Installing Ubuntu 5.04 on a ThinkPad T43 (1875)

2005-08-27T03:40:29Z

Adityanag: /* Install on-screen confirmation of the ThinkPad buttons */

I installed {{Ubuntu}} 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog" on a IBM {{T43}} 1875-E5U.

Before starting the installation, make a copy of the IBM system restore CD's. You can do this in Windows by going to the Access IBM Start Menu option, and clicking on Create Rescue Cd's. '''This is extremely important!!!''' In case you erase your IBM system rescue partition, or remove the BootLoader, these CD's are the only way you can restore your machine to Factory settings. You'll need six blank CD's, or one blank CD and one blank DVD, if you have a DVD-Writer.

Once this is done, install as usual. The only gotcha is the installation of the Boot-loader. There is a method by which you can save your current MBR, so that you don't lose the Access IBM button's functionaltiy, but I don't know it. Please update this page if you know.

I installed grub in the MBR of my hard disk. After rebooting, the Access IBM button was not working anymore. My rescue partition would not boot. After the text based installation ended, Ubuntu said that it starting X. Then I got a blank screen.

My machine has the [[Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900]] installed. To get X working, I had to edit the x.org file. I did this in the following manner:

*Press {{key|Ctrl}}{{key|Alt}}{{key|F2}} to get a Virtual Terminal
*Login as the user you made while installing
*{{cmd|sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup}} (keep a backup)
*{{cmd|sudo vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf}}
*scroll down to this section
Section "Device"
Identifier "Intel Corporation Intel Default Card "
Driver "i810"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection
*Change Driver "i810" to Driver "vesa"
*save and exit

After this, I used {{key|Ctrl}}{{key|Alt}}{{key|F7}} to come back to the X terminal, then {{key|Ctrl}}{{key|ALt}}{{key|Backspace}} to restart it. X started successfully.

The next thing to do was use the excellent [http://ubuntuguide.org Unofficial Ubuntu Guide] to set up various things.

After hunting around on the net, I came across two excellent guides. These are [http://columbia.edu/~em36/ubuntuhoarythinkpadt42.html Edward Mendelson's guide to Ubuntu on a T42] and [http://aaltonen.us/archive/2005/03/02/ubuntu-linux-on-the-ibm-thinkpad-t42/ aaltonen.us Ubuntu Guide]

I have reproduced sections from these two guides. The authors have been notified of this.

== Enable sleep and hibernation ==

Open a terminal and enter these commands:

sudo cp /etc/default/acpi-support /etc/default/acpi-support-backup
sudo gedit /etc/default/acpi-support

Edit the file by removing the # character at the beginning of the line that will look like this when the character is removed:

ACPI_SLEEP=true

Save the file. Next, in the terminal, enter:

sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst-backup2
sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

and go to the line starting #kopt. Add the following at the end of the existing line (replace /dev/hda5 with your swap partition, which you can identify by entering the command fdisk -l in the terminal

resume=/dev/hda5 vga=0x318

The vga=0x318 string forces the text-mode display during boot-up and shutdown to display in 50-line mode instead of the ugly 25-line mode. This string is perfect for a 1024x768 screen, but you might want something different. You might want to consult this full list of VGA modes for Linux. The #kopt line should look something like this (if you do not find the strings pci=noacpi and acpi_sleep=s3_bios then add them also)

# kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro pci=noacpi acpi_sleep=s3_bios resume=/dev/hda5 vga=0x318

If you intend to run the command sudo update-grub after you save the file, then save the file now. If you do not intend to run that command, then add these strings by hand to the kernel line that launches Ubuntu and reboot.

To suspend to RAM (sleep), press the ThinkPadâ€™s sleep button (Fn+F4); to wake up the system, press the Fn key, wait a few seconds, and press Ctrl-Alt-Backspace to restart the Xwindow graphic system.

To suspend to disk (hibernate), press the ThinkPad's hibernate button (Fn+F12), or use the option to hibernate the computer on the logout menu. Press the power button to wake the system; the desktop should reappear automatically.

== Install on-screen confirmation of the ThinkPad buttons ==

The program tpb (ThinkPad Buttons) makes all the ThinkPad-specific buttons and Fn-key combinations work as expected (some buttons, such as the ones that control screen brightness, are hardware-controlled and work under any operating system). As explained by Michael R Head in his post in this [http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=24685 thread] , the Ubuntu Hoary version of tpb does not support on-screen display (OSD) of the results of your actions. To correct this, download the latest Debian version of the program from the [http://packages.debian.org/testing/utils/tpb Debian.org] site (scroll down to the box under the heading "Download tpb").

Open a terminal, use the cd command to navigate to the directory in which you downloaded the package and enter:

sudo dpkg -i tpb*

On the Gnome menu, use System | Preferences | Sessions | Startup Programs and use the Add button to add the following command:

tpb -d

If you want the Access IBM button to start your screensaver, open a terminal and enter these commands:

sudo cp /etc/tpbrc /etc/tpbrc-backup
sudo gedit /etc/tpbrc

Edit the file by adding this line below the line that begins #THINKPAD /usr/bin, etc.:

THINKPAD /usr/bin/xscreensaver-command -activate

Save the file. In the terminal, run man tpb to learn about other ways to use the Access IBM button.

I believe some of the following steps may have performed automagically during installation (I simply don't remember whether they were or not), but you should perform all the steps anyway to make certain that everything is set up correctly.

First, in a terminal, enter the commands (replacing [username] with your username):

echo nvram | sudo tee -a /etc/modules
sudo addgroup nvram
sudo adduser [username] nvram

I don't pretend to understand exactly what this does, but the first line adds the string "nvram" at the end of the file /etc/modules; the next two lines create a group called nvram and add yourself to the group. Next, enter these commands in the terminal:

cd /etc/udev/permissions.d
sudo cp udev.permissions udev.permissions-backup
sudo gedit udev.permissions

Edit the file to make sure these lines are present (add them if necessary, perhaps to the top of the second set of lines under the heading # character devices:

misc/nvram:root:nvram:660
nvram:root:nvram:660

Save the file and reboot.

Note: the tpb program does not provide visual confirmation for the Fn+F5 button that toggles the wireless radio, but the button does toggle the radio on and off, exactly as it does in Windows. The indicator light works as well.

== Enable TrackPoint middle-button scrolling ==

To use the blue middle TrackPoint button as a scroll wheel, do the following. In a terminal, enter these commands:

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf-backup
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

In the editor, find the section headed Section â€œInputDeviceâ€ / Identifier â€œConfigured Mouseâ€ and the following lines above the â€œEndSectionâ€ line:

Option "EmulateWheel" "true"
Option "EmulateWheelButton" "2"

Save the file. Logout, restart X with Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, and log in again.

== Don't slow down boot-up by synchronizing with network time ==

Ubuntu pauses during boot-up while attempting to synchronize the system clock with a remote time server, but you probably aren't connected to the internet when you boot with a ThinkPad, so this attempt accomplishes nothing. . Eliminate this delay by opening a terminal and entering:

sudo chmod -x /etc/init.d/ntpdate

== Don't slow down boot-up when no Ethernet cable is attached ==

In Synaptic find and install the ifplugd package. After installing it, open a terminal and run this command

sudo gedit /etc/default/ifplugd

Edit the file by modify the lines INTERFACES="" and HOTPLUG_INTERFACES="" if no interfaces are listed or if the wrong interfaces are listed. You probably only want to test the hotplug status of the wired Ethernet connection, so the lines should read:

INTERFACES="eth0"
HOTPLUG_INTERFACES="eth0"

I don't pretend to understand these options fully, so please post corrections if I'm wrong. I've also modified the ARGS= line to add the string -b which silences the otherwise excessive beeping when you plug or unplug the cable. Save the file and reboot.

== Conclusion ==

In the end, Ubuntu turned out to be a beautiful distro to install. Most of it "just worked", and with a little tweaking, I have reached a level of functionality that eluded me with Suse.

Here's a quick summary.

Worked out of the Box:
Sound, Networking (wired and wireless), Power Management, Hibernate, ThinkPad Buttons (without OSD)

Worked after little tweaking:
Sleep, Middle button scrolling, ThinkPad Buttons OSD.

Did not Work:
IBM Rescue and Recovery Partition. Don't forget to make the Rescue CD's

User:Adityanag

2005-08-27T02:18:06Z

Adityanag:

== Brief Bio ==

Name's Aditya Nag. Been a linux geek since 1997. Check out my [http://www.adityanag.org homepage]

I've written some articles on Linux and OSS. [http://www.adityanag.org/articles.html Check them out]

Drop me a line at adityanag-at-gmail-dot-com

User:Adityanag

2005-08-27T02:17:42Z

Adityanag:

== Brief Bio ==

Name's Aditya Nag. Been a linux geek since 1997. Check out my [http://www.adityanag.org homepage]

I've written some articles on Linux and OSS. [http://www.adityanag.org/articles/html Check them out]

Drop me a line at adityanag-at-gmail-dot-com

Installing Ubuntu 5.04 on a ThinkPad T43 (1875)

2005-08-27T02:04:44Z

Adityanag:

I installed {{Ubuntu}} 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog" on a IBM {{T43}} 1875-E5U.

Before starting the installation, make a copy of the IBM system restore CD's. You can do this in Windows by going to the Access IBM Start Menu option, and clicking on Create Rescue Cd's. '''This is extremely important!!!''' In case you erase your IBM system rescue partition, or remove the BootLoader, these CD's are the only way you can restore your machine to Factory settings. You'll need six blank CD's, or one blank CD and one blank DVD, if you have a DVD-Writer.

Once this is done, install as usual. The only gotcha is the installation of the Boot-loader. There is a method by which you can save your current MBR, so that you don't lose the Access IBM button's functionaltiy, but I don't know it. Please update this page if you know.

I installed grub in the MBR of my hard disk. After rebooting, the Access IBM button was not working anymore. My rescue partition would not boot. After the text based installation ended, Ubuntu said that it starting X. Then I got a blank screen.

My machine has the [[Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900]] installed. To get X working, I had to edit the x.org file. I did this in the following manner:

*Press {{key|Ctrl}}{{key|Alt}}{{key|F2}} to get a Virtual Terminal
*Login as the user you made while installing
*{{cmd|sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup}} (keep a backup)
*{{cmd|sudo vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf}}
*scroll down to this section
Section "Device"
Identifier "Intel Corporation Intel Default Card "
Driver "i810"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection
*Change Driver "i810" to Driver "vesa"
*save and exit

After this, I used {{key|Ctrl}}{{key|Alt}}{{key|F7}} to come back to the X terminal, then {{key|Ctrl}}{{key|ALt}}{{key|Backspace}} to restart it. X started successfully.

The next thing to do was use the excellent [http://ubuntuguide.org Unofficial Ubuntu Guide] to set up various things.

After hunting around on the net, I came across two excellent guides. These are [http://columbia.edu/~em36/ubuntuhoarythinkpadt42.html Edward Mendelson's guide to Ubuntu on a T42] and [http://aaltonen.us/archive/2005/03/02/ubuntu-linux-on-the-ibm-thinkpad-t42/ aaltonen.us Ubuntu Guide]

I have reproduced sections from these two guides. The authors have been notified of this.

== Enable sleep and hibernation ==

Open a terminal and enter these commands:

sudo cp /etc/default/acpi-support /etc/default/acpi-support-backup
sudo gedit /etc/default/acpi-support

Edit the file by removing the # character at the beginning of the line that will look like this when the character is removed:

ACPI_SLEEP=true

Save the file. Next, in the terminal, enter:

sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst-backup2
sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

and go to the line starting #kopt. Add the following at the end of the existing line (replace /dev/hda5 with your swap partition, which you can identify by entering the command fdisk -l in the terminal

resume=/dev/hda5 vga=0x318

The vga=0x318 string forces the text-mode display during boot-up and shutdown to display in 50-line mode instead of the ugly 25-line mode. This string is perfect for a 1024x768 screen, but you might want something different. You might want to consult this full list of VGA modes for Linux. The #kopt line should look something like this (if you do not find the strings pci=noacpi and acpi_sleep=s3_bios then add them also)

# kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro pci=noacpi acpi_sleep=s3_bios resume=/dev/hda5 vga=0x318

If you intend to run the command sudo update-grub after you save the file, then save the file now. If you do not intend to run that command, then add these strings by hand to the kernel line that launches Ubuntu and reboot.

To suspend to RAM (sleep), press the ThinkPadâ€™s sleep button (Fn+F4); to wake up the system, press the Fn key, wait a few seconds, and press Ctrl-Alt-Backspace to restart the Xwindow graphic system.

To suspend to disk (hibernate), press the ThinkPad's hibernate button (Fn+F12), or use the option to hibernate the computer on the logout menu. Press the power button to wake the system; the desktop should reappear automatically.

== Install on-screen confirmation of the ThinkPad buttons ==

The program tpb (ThinkPad Buttons) makes all the ThinkPad-specific buttons and Fn-key combinations work as expected (some buttons, such as the ones that control screen brightness, are hardware-controlled and work under any operating system). As explained by Michael R Head in his post in this [http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=24685 thread] , the Ubuntu Hoary version of tpb does not support on-screen display (OSD) of the results of your actions. To correct this, download the latest Debian version of the program from the [http://packages.debian.org/testing/utils/tpb Debian.org] site (scroll down to the box under the heading "Download tpb").

Open a terminal, use the cd command to navigate to the directory in which you downloaded the package and enter:

sudo dpkg -i tpb*

On the Gnome menu, use System | Preferences | Sessions | Startup Programs and use the Add button to add the following command:

tpb -d

If you want the Access IBM button to start your screensaver, open a terminal and enter these commands:

sudo cp /etc/tpbrc /etc/tpbrc-backup
sudo gedit /etc/tpbrc

Edit the file by adding this line below the line that begins #THINKPAD /usr/bin, etc.:

THINKPAD /usr/bin/xscreensaver-command -activate

Save the file. In the terminal, run man tpb to learn about other ways to use the Access IBM button.

I believe some of the following steps may have performed automagically during installation (I simply don't remember whether they were or not), but you should perform all the steps anyway to make certain that everything is set up correctly.

First, in a terminal, enter the commands (replacing [username] with your username):

echo nvram | sudo tee -a /etc/modules
sudo addgroup nvram
sudo adduser [username] nvram

I don't pretend to understand exactly what this does, but the first line adds the string "nvram" at the end of the file /etc/modules; the next two lines create a group called nvram and add yourself to the group. Next, enter these commands in the terminal:

cd /etc/udev/permissions.d
sudo cp udev.permissions udev.permissions-backup
sudo gedit udev.permissions

Edit the file to make sure these lines are present (add them if necessary, perhaps to the top of the second set of lines under the heading # character devices:

misc/nvram:root:nvram:660
nvram:root:nvram:660

Save the file and reboot.

Note: the tpb program does not provide visual confirmation for the Fn+F5 button that toggles the wireless radio, but the button does toggle the radio on and off, exactly as it does in Windows. On my system, the wireless light on the panel below the screen never lights up under Ubuntu, but the light seems to work correctly on other people's systems. (I think the difference may be that the light goes on if the ThinkPad has Bluetooth installed; mine does not.)

== Enable TrackPoint middle-button scrolling ==

To use the blue middle TrackPoint button as a scroll wheel, do the following. In a terminal, enter these commands:

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf-backup
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

In the editor, find the section headed Section â€œInputDeviceâ€ / Identifier â€œConfigured Mouseâ€ and the following lines above the â€œEndSectionâ€ line:

Option "EmulateWheel" "true"
Option "EmulateWheelButton" "2"

Save the file. Logout, restart X with Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, and log in again.

== Don't slow down boot-up by synchronizing with network time ==

Ubuntu pauses during boot-up while attempting to synchronize the system clock with a remote time server, but you probably aren't connected to the internet when you boot with a ThinkPad, so this attempt accomplishes nothing. . Eliminate this delay by opening a terminal and entering:

sudo chmod -x /etc/init.d/ntpdate

== Don't slow down boot-up when no Ethernet cable is attached ==

In Synaptic find and install the ifplugd package. After installing it, open a terminal and run this command

sudo gedit /etc/default/ifplugd

Edit the file by modify the lines INTERFACES="" and HOTPLUG_INTERFACES="" if no interfaces are listed or if the wrong interfaces are listed. You probably only want to test the hotplug status of the wired Ethernet connection, so the lines should read:

INTERFACES="eth0"
HOTPLUG_INTERFACES="eth0"

I don't pretend to understand these options fully, so please post corrections if I'm wrong. I've also modified the ARGS= line to add the string -b which silences the otherwise excessive beeping when you plug or unplug the cable. Save the file and reboot.

== Conclusion ==

In the end, Ubuntu turned out to be a beautiful distro to install. Most of it "just worked", and with a little tweaking, I have reached a level of functionality that eluded me with Suse.

Here's a quick summary.

Worked out of the Box:
Sound, Networking (wired and wireless), Power Management, Hibernate, ThinkPad Buttons (without OSD)

Worked after little tweaking:
Sleep, Middle button scrolling, ThinkPad Buttons OSD.

Did not Work:
IBM Rescue and Recovery Partition. Don't forget to make the Rescue CD's

Installing Ubuntu 5.04 on a ThinkPad T43 (1875)

2005-08-26T23:29:16Z

Adityanag:

I installed Ubuntu 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog" on a IBM T43 1875-E5U.

Before starting the installation, make a copy of the IBM system restore CD's. You can do this in Windows by going to the Access IBM Start Menu option, and clicking on Create Rescue Cd's. '''This is extremely important!!!''' In case you erase your IBM system rescue partition, or remove the BootLoader, these CD's are the only way you can restore your machine to Factory settings. You'll need six blank CD's, or one blank CD and one blank DVD, if you have a DVD-Writer.

Once this is done, install as usual. The only gotcha is the installation of the Boot-loader. There is a method by which you can save your current MBR, so that you don't lose the Access IBM button's functionaltiy, but I don't know it. Please update this page if you know.

I installed grub in the MBR of my hard disk. After rebooting, the Access IBM button was not working anymore. My rescue partition would not boot. After the text based installation ended, Ubuntu said that it starting X. Then I got a blank screen.

My machine has the [[Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900]] installed. To get X working, I had to edit the x.org file. I did this in the following manner:

Press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to get a Virtual Terminal
Login as the user you made while installing
sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup # keep a backup
sudo vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf
scroll down to this section
Section "Device"
Identifier "Intel Corporation Intel Default Card "
Driver "i810"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection
Change Driver "i810" to Driver "vesa"
save and exit

After this, I used Ctrl+Alt+F7 to come back to the X terminal, then Ctrl+ALt+Backspace to restart it. X started successfully.

The next thing to do was use the excellent [http://ubuntuguide.org Unofficial Ubuntu Guide] to set up various things.

I will be editing this page after I get the Suspend to Ram, and other things working. If anyone knows how to install GRUB so that the Access IBM button works, and how to restore the MBR without completely resetting the HDD to factory settings please update this page.

Installation instructions for the ThinkPad T43

2005-08-26T22:53:57Z

Adityanag:

*[[:Category:Debian | Debian/Sarge]] [[Installing Debian/Sarge on a Thinkpad T43 | Installation]]
*[[:Category:Debian | Debian/Sid]] [[Installing Debian/Sid on a Thinkpad T43 | Installation]]
*[[:Category:Fedora | Fedora Core 4]] [[Installing Fedora Core 4 on a Thinkpad T43 | Installation]]
*[[:Category:Fedora | Fedora Core 4]] [[Installing Fedora Core 4 on a Thinkpad T43 (2668) | Installation]]
*[[Category:Ubuntu | 5.04]] [[Installing Ubuntu 5.04 on a ThinkPad T43 (1875) ]]

[[Category:T43]]

Battery

2005-08-11T06:15:58Z

Adityanag:

Infos on how to treat your battery properly and on what you can do to extend its lifetime.

Find more information about batteries at http://batteryuniversity.com

==Lithium-based batteries==

*store them at about 40% charged state
*never store them fully depleted/charged
*keep them cool and dry; never freeze a battery
*the battery lasts longer with partial rather than full discharges
*avoid charging if the battery is nearly full
*never expose your laptop and/or battery to excessive heat (car parked in sun)
*take the battery/s out when running on AC
*Newer Thinkpads have software that lets you set charge thresholds. If you use your Laptop at a desk, use this software to keep your batteries in good condition.

More specific links about these hints:
* http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm
* http://www.buchmann.ca/Chap10-page6.asp

==The 600X problem==

There is a problem with the 600X and dying batteries. The problem is that the 600X's has problems with its power management which causes batteries to die before they should. Read more about this on the [[Problem with Thinkpad 600 batteries|according problem page]].