[ltp] Issues with t23 debian etch netinst

[Cheryl Homiak]

I have been running linux on a t23 for several years with no problems. 
However, since using the debian etch netinst cd to install recently after 
a hard drive replacement, I do have some issues.

1. Pressing the "volume down" button on the t23 does allow the volume to 
go down but also produces a beep and a tilde each time I press it. Is 
there keymapping or some other solution for this? I never had this problem 
on previous installs.

2. Because my t23 still has the bios with which it came, using acpi 
produces errors. I'm reluctant to risk an upgrade of the bios because (1) 
if it goes wrong my thinkpad could be an expensive paper-weight, and (2) 
as a blind person I can't work on the bios without sighted help. In the 
past I've configured my kernels to use apm instead. But now that I have a 
pcmcia wireless card and it's working so well with module 
assistant/madwifi, I really hate to mess with recompiling the kernel that 
was installed. I do realize that if I compile my kernel the debian way I 
probably shouldn't have a problem and I may eventually break down and do 
this. But as an alternative, are there any boot parameters I can use to 
functionally use apm instead of acpi. I did try "acpi=off" and "apm=on" 
but while that turned acpi off it didn't appear to produce the apm 
information in /proc that I'm used to finding. So are there boot 
parameters I should be using either at boot now or when running the 
netinst cd that will give me functional apm? I don't mind reinstalling as 
I don't have a lot on this computer yet and everything is backed up. Can 
something be done short of recompiling the kernel myself or should I just 
leave it as is with acpi despite the errors?

3. I'm also getting little noises from this computer that I didn't get 
before--don't know if that's due to the netinst or not. They are pretty 
hard to describe: sort of a quiet click but not like a repeated banging or 
anything. I was concerned enough to take it back to the place that 
installed the new hard drive and they decided that hard drive was 
defective. But now I've reinstalled and am getting the same little sounds, 
though nothing functionally appears to be wrong and smartmontools isn't 
reporting any errors. Does anybody know if this is normal or what this 
could be--sorry, but it's really hard to describe a sound so nobody may 
know what I'm talking about.

Tia.

-- 
Cheryl

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."