ThinkWiki - User contributions [en]

Help:Editing

2007-02-18T08:02:30Z

Nomar: Added QUOTE template

==general help==

For general help in editing please read [[Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page | Wikipedias "How to edit a page" page]].

==ThinkWiki editing policies==

===write with other users in your mind===
When you write an article, keep the following things in mind...
*Respect others. Try sticking to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Npov neutral point of view]. Respect the work of other writers. Respect your (potential) readers.
*ThinkWiki is not only about the newest models. Try to write in a way that is open for older, newer and future models. This especially regards the structuring of the information you provide.
*ThinkWiki is not only about your Distro. Try to make clear if something you write is valid only for your specific linux distribution.
*Even though the article is written by you, it is a piece of information others might work on later. Try to avoid personal remarks in your articles.

===naming policies for new pages===
If you create a new page, please consider the following page naming policies. This is important to keep a persistent page naming scheme and hence to ensure that ThinkWiki still works well when it has grown more complex.

Page names (the links you create to point to the page) are used as the page Title. Considering these policies has the following advantages:
*the pages will have self-explaining titles
*in Category views like the Model view the links to the pages are expressively labeled and similar pages are sorted together
*the pages are more easily found in search engines like google

====general policies====
*It is allowed and in fact wanted that you use spaces within your page titles.
*The name you choose for the page should be as specific as its content will be. In other words...it should not be possible to write another page with more general content about the topic that your page title indicates.

====specific kinds of pages====
To sort similar pages together in the Model views, we start specific pages in defined ways.
The following table shows the naming schemes for several kinds of pages...
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
|+page naming schemes
! page type !! naming scheme !! example
|-
| Installation instructions overview for a model || Installation instructions for the <model> || Installation instructions for the ThinkPad T41p
|-
| Installation instructions for a specific distro on a model || Installing <distro> on a <model> || Installing Gentoo on a ThinkPad T41p
|-
| other HowTos || How to ... || How to get special keys to work
|-
| Problem descriptions || Problem with ... || Problem with lm-sensors
|-
| Drivers and Tools pages || <name of driver/tool> || ibm-acpi
|-
| Patches || Patch ... || Patch disabling ACPI C3
|-
| Components || <name of component as used by IBM> || IBM 11a/b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Adapter II
|-
| Distro pages || Category:<distro> || Category:SUSE
|-
| ThinkPad Models || Category:<Model without "ThinkPad"> || Category:T41p
|-
| Specifications || <type number-model number> || 2373-GHG
|-
|}

=== use semantic formatting ===
Please prefer semantic formatting over beauty. To help maintaining a formatting standard, you can use the following templates.
{{NOTE|
Unfortunately, nesting templates is not possible. I.e. you can't put a cmd template inside a NOTE template.
}}
<br />
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
! syntax !! resulting output
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| <nowiki>{{cmduser|command}}</nowiki> || {{cmduser|command}}
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| <nowiki>{{cmdroot|command}}</nowiki> || {{cmdroot|command}}
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| <nowiki>{{cmdgrub|command}}</nowiki> || {{cmdgrub|command}}
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| <nowiki>{{cmdresult|shell output}}</nowiki> || {{cmdresult|shell output}}
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| <nowiki>{{cmd|command|prefix>}}</nowiki> || {{cmd|command|prefix>}}
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| <nowiki>{{bootparm|parameter|value}}</nowiki> || {{bootparm|parameter|value}}
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| <nowiki>{{path|/etc/config.cfg}}</nowiki> || {{path|/etc/config.cfg}}
|-
|
#<nowiki>{{kernelconf|CONFIG_SCSI|[M]|SCSI device support|SCSI device support|Device Drivers||}}</nowiki>
#<nowiki>{{kernelconf|CONFIG_SCSI|[M]|SCSI device support||||}}</nowiki>
#<nowiki>{{kernelconf|CONFIG_SCSI|[M]|||||}}</nowiki>
#<nowiki>{{kernelconf|CONFIG_SCSI||||||}}</nowiki>
#<nowiki>{{kernelconf||[M]|SCSI device support||||}}</nowiki>

''specify the menuconfig path in reverse order and fill with empty parameters to at least a total of seven''
|
#{{kernelconf|CONFIG_SCSI|[M]|SCSI device support|SCSI device support|Device Drivers||}}
#{{kernelconf|CONFIG_SCSI|[M]|SCSI device support||||}}
#{{kernelconf|CONFIG_SCSI|[M]|||||}}
#{{kernelconf|CONFIG_SCSI||||||}}
#{{kernelconf||[M]|SCSI device support||||}}
|-
| <nowiki>{{HINT|A suggestion.}}</nowiki> || {{HINT|A suggestion.}}
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| <nowiki>{{NOTE|Take notice!}}</nowiki> || {{NOTE|Take notice!}}
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| <nowiki>{{WARN|Be careful!}}</nowiki> || {{WARN|Be careful!}}
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| <nowiki>{{HELP|Request for help}}</nowiki> || {{HELP|Request for help}}
|-
| <nowiki>{{QUOTE|Master Foo|zen-devel|Your theories on the sound of one hand clapping are quite interesting.}}</nowiki> || {{QUOTE|Master Foo|zen-devel|Your theories on the sound of one hand clapping are quite interesting.}}
|-
|<nowiki>{{key|Fn}}{{key|F4}}</nowiki> || {{key|Fn}}{{key|F4}}
|-
|<nowiki>{{ibmkey|Access IBM|#495988}} = {{ibmkey|ThinkPad|#494949}}</nowiki> || {{ibmkey|Access IBM|#495988}} = {{ibmkey|ThinkPad|#494949}}
|-
|<nowiki>to be commented{{footnote|1}}</nowiki> || to be commented{{footnote|1}}
|-
|<nowiki>{{footnotes|</nowiki><br />
<nowiki>#first footnote</nowiki><br />
<nowiki>#second footnote</nowiki><br />
<nowiki>}}</nowiki>
|| {{footnotes|
#first footnote
#second footnote
}}
|}

=== use our Link&Categorization Templates===
To ease editing and to provide a standardized way of linking to a category and categorizing the page at the same time in that category, we introduced the following Templates. So far there are two types of these:
*Model Templates. Just write the model number surrounded by winged brackets, like i.e. <nowiki>{{T40}}</nowiki>. This will be equivalent to <nowiki>[[:Category:T40|T40]] [[Category:T40]]</nowiki>. Hence the result will be a link like this: [[:Category:T40|T40]], but at the same time, the page will be categorized under that category.
*Distribution Templates. They work the same way as Model Templates, except that for them you need to specify the Distribution name (simplest, shortest variant of it). It will create a link to that distributions category page and also categorize the page you used the template on under that category.

=== use our Editorial Templates===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
! syntax !! resulting output
|-
|<nowiki>{{Stub}}</nowiki><br />(Use only at the beginning of pages!)||{{Stub}}
|-
|<nowiki>{{Todo|needs editing}}</nowiki>||{{Todo|needs editing}}
|-
|<nowiki>{{Fixme|preliminary information}}</nowiki>||{{Fixme|preliminary information}}
|-
|<nowiki>{{Usage|do this and that}}</nowiki><br />(Use only at the beginning of pages!)||{{Usage|Do this and that}}
|}
'''Have fun editing!'''

Problem with USB 2.0

2007-02-18T07:59:52Z

Nomar: Updated to reflect changed QUOTE template

==Problem description==
On various (early?) T40 models, USB 2.0 may not function, or may function only at USB 1.1 speeds. Symptoms include inability to connect to USB 2.0 devices at USB 2.0 speeds, the "This device can perform faster" pop-up in Windows XP, device ID assignment error messages from the Linux kernel, and frequent reboots of the USB bus and connected devices.

==Possible Causes==
So far, two possible causes have been suggested. In both cases, replacing the system board is the only solution.

===Fried Southbridge USB controller===
The Southbridge chip (containing the USB controller) may have been damaged by static electricity:

{{QUOTE|Matthias Himber|[http://mailman.linux-thinkpad.org/pipermail/linux-thinkpad/2005-June/026884.html linux-thinkpad]|
Short answer: your southbridge is about to die, get your system board replaced. Hopefully its still under warranty.

Long answer: a number of Intel chipsets for Pentium IV and Pentium M processors have a design flaw that makes the southbridge (which contains the USB host controllers) especially sensitive to static electricity. As a result
there is a (small) risk that when plugging in or removing a USB device causes damage to the chip. Usually, the first symptom is broken USB 2.0, behaving in exactly the way you described (ie, works under Windows, but only after some waiting and as if it was connected to a USB 1.1 controller, not a USB 2.0 one, and not at all under Linux unless you unload the USB 2.0 driver). This tends to lead to a completely dead chipset a short time later, so better get it serviced NOW.
}}

===Mechanical Damage to Mainboard===
Mechanical damage (from bending, dropping or vibrating the laptop) can lead to components becoming desoldered from the mainboard and no longer having reliable electrical contact:
{{QUOTE|?|?|
My T41 shows the same symptoms. USB 2.0 works if I (gently) push the USB plug, or if I slightly flex my thinkpad. For example, it works when I put a pencil under the harddrive on an otherwise flat desk, so that the thinkpad only makes contact with the desk at 3 points (I type on an external keyboard). If I flex the other way, USB 2.0 never works. USB 1.1 always works reliably, irregardless of flexing / pushing the plug.
}}

Clearly, this is an electrical problem and not static electricity.

==Solutions==
This seems to be a hardware problem with the USB controller on Intel's chip or related electronics. Sending the laptop in for service may help.

If the Linux kernel refuses to register the USB device, "modprobe -r ehci_hcd" may help. This disables USB 2.0 functionality for the session.

Unloading ehci_hcd as per above confirmed to work on T41 running Ubuntu Edgy.

Template:QUOTE

2007-02-18T07:56:17Z

Nomar:

<div style="margin:10px 20px 0 20px; border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; padding: 0px 0px 0 0px;">
<div style="padding: 0 1em 0em 1em; background-color:#DDDDDD;">{{{1}}} <b>wrote on</b> {{{2}}}<b>:</b></div>
<div style="padding: 2px 1em 2px 1em;">{{{3}}}</div>
</div>

Problem with USB 2.0

2007-02-18T07:54:21Z

Nomar: Created subsections for possible causes

==Problem description==
On various (early?) T40 models, USB 2.0 may not function, or may function only at USB 1.1 speeds. Symptoms include inability to connect to USB 2.0 devices at USB 2.0 speeds, the "This device can perform faster" pop-up in Windows XP, device ID assignment error messages from the Linux kernel, and frequent reboots of the USB bus and connected devices.

==Possible Causes==
So far, two possible causes have been suggested. In both cases, replacing the system board is the only solution.

===Fried Southbridge USB controller===
The Southbridge chip (containing the USB controller) may have been damaged. This source of the problem was described by Matthias Himber on the http://mailman.linux-thinkpad.org/pipermail/linux-thinkpad/2005-June/026884.html linux-thinkpad mailing list]
as follows:

{{QUOTE|
Short answer: your southbridge is about to die, get your system board replaced. Hopefully its still under warranty.

Long answer: a number of Intel chipsets for Pentium IV and Pentium M processors have a design flaw that makes the southbridge (which contains the USB host controllers) especially sensitive to static electricity. As a result
there is a (small) risk that when plugging in or removing a USB device causes damage to the chip. Usually, the first symptom is broken USB 2.0, behaving in exactly the way you described (ie, works under Windows, but only after some waiting and as if it was connected to a USB 1.1 controller, not a USB 2.0 one, and not at all under Linux unless you unload the USB 2.0 driver). This tends to lead to a completely dead chipset a short time later, so better get it serviced NOW.
}}

===Mechanical Damage to Mainboard===
Mechanical damage (from bending, dropping or vibrating the laptop) can lead to components becoming desoldered from the mainboard and no longer having reliable electrical contact:
{{QUOTE|
My T41 shows the same symptoms. USB 2.0 works if I (gently) push the USB plug, or if I slightly flex my thinkpad. For example, it works when I put a pencil under the harddrive on an otherwise flat desk, so that the thinkpad only makes contact with the desk at 3 points (I type on an external keyboard). If I flex the other way, USB 2.0 never works. USB 1.1 always works reliably, irregardless of flexing / pushing the plug.
}}

Clearly, this is an electrical problem and not static electricity.

==Solutions==
This seems to be a hardware problem with the USB controller on Intel's chip or related electronics. Sending the laptop in for service may help.

If the Linux kernel refuses to register the USB device, "modprobe -r ehci_hcd" may help. This disables USB 2.0 functionality for the session.

Unloading ehci_hcd as per above confirmed to work on T41 running Ubuntu Edgy.

Template:QUOTE

2007-02-18T07:47:39Z

Nomar:

<div style="margin:10px 20px 0 20px; border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; padding: 0px 0px 0 0px;">
<div style="padding: 0 1em 0em 1em; background-color:#DDDDDD;">'''Qoute:'''</div>
<div style="padding: 2px 1em 2px 1em;">{{{1}}}</div>
</div>