[ltp] Linux (Red Hat 9.0) on T40p (2373-G1G to be exact)

[linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org]

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003, Frank Schaeckermann wrote:

> Hi everybody!
> 
> Here are my 5 cent worth of experience I gathered while getting RH 9.0 
> running on my brand new T40p...

Thanks for the nice summary Frank.  I'm astounded at how far you got
if you only started with Linux a month ago: makes me feel quite
ashamed..!  I've ordered a T40, so your summary is very useful to add
to the other installations people have documented for the T40* for
prospective buyers.

Few queries:

> The next thing was, that even with the new kernel neither my Ethernet 
> nor the PCMCIA would work at all. 
> Close to the point where the frustration rises above the curiosity-level 
> I was darn lucky... the enlightenment came in the form of an article 
> (http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0306.3/0956.html) stating 
> a solution to my exact problem with the PCMCIA!!!! 

I've not heard of this before: did others have to do this?  Is it
fixed in later kernels or the stock RedHat kernel?

> Now having a working Linux ThinkPad with a network connection I was able 
> to start playing around with patches like laptop-mode 
> (http://kerneltrap.org/node.php?id=653) and wine. 

Have others found laptop-mode significant in terms of increased
battery lifetime, with no significant loss in performance?  Again,
has it been integrated into later kernels now..?  I'm a bit lost what
to install on my T40 when it arrives: stock RedHat kernel,
2.4.21-something, 2.5 (2.6??).  I'd need DMA and some good way to
rely suspend or hibernate but I'm not fussy which.. suggestions
anyone?

> Since humans have at least some pseudo-multi-tasking-abilities, I was - 
> at the same time - chewing away on the challenge to get hibernation 
> running. Here it was the IBM site giving the helping clue: 
> http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-4PESMK 

This looks good as an alternative to what seems to be other troublesome
suspend problems: so do I need to pre-create a (FAT32?) partition of
size (Physical RAM + a bit) to use this?  Would I then run this util
from boot floppy/CD and it will find it?  I have vague memories of
the Dell utility to do similar...

Klaus Weidner refers on his page at
http://www.w-m-p.com/linux-on-t40.html to the possibility of stopping
the NTFS conversion of the preinstalled FAT32 Windows partition
before first boot as a way of keeping Windows as FAT32 (not his
suggestion, but he passes this on from someone else), which then
seemingly allows you to hibernate straight to the Windows FAT32
partition - or am I reading this wrong?  What I seem to be reading on
this list is that hibernation/suspend is at least tricky on these
machines right now, and that hibernating this way might be the best
bet?  I want to make sure I know whether I want to inhibit the NTFS
conversion/and/or create an extra partition for hibernation when I
first switch the machine on (or boot from Knoppix).  A really clear
suggestion as the best way to go when I turn the machine on would be
helpful from someone!

> In the meantime I was getting arround to signing up on Red Hat Network 
> and found out, that there was a long list of erratas to be applied. One 
> of them being a 2.4.20-18.9 kernel. 

I'm surprised to hear the this kernel now works OK for the T40p: does
it enable DMA safely?  And doesn't break suspend?  Great news if it
does, but what are the drawbacks over the 2.4.21* kernels for these
machines?

> There is only one little cave-at... wine would not 
> start anymore and consistently bails out with the message
> 
> 'wine: chdir to /tmp/.wine-xxxx/server-302-154003: No such file or 
> directory'

For this I can suggest something to try: either rebuild wine from
source with "configure --with-nptl", or define:

export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.4.1

before starting.