[ltp] T20 battery not charging or showing up?

[Nick Rout]

ted.frater@virgin.net wrote:
> Andr=E9 Wyrwa wrote:
>
>> Hei,
>>
>> =20
>>
>>> I started it up the other day and the battery seemed flat, which=20
>>> didn't worry me unduly. My plan was to transfer all data off it and=20
>>> install ubuntu, which I duly did. I noticed while it was still in XP=20
>>> that the battery didn't seem to have charged at all. Once I had=20
>>> ubuntu up and running the battery indicator says there is no battery=20
>>> present, and unplugging the power brings it to a grinding halt, so=20
>>> there is definitely no battery power getting to the computer.
>>>  =20
>>
>> sounds like your battery went into the afterlife. The symptoms you
>> describe indicate that it doesn't hold charge anymore. Why this would
>> happen after a year of non-use i have no clue, don't know much about t=
he
>> chemical effects within.
>>
>> I had bought an X20 off eBay with a battery like that and a lot of eBa=
y
>> actions come with batteries having the same issue.
>>
>> You could try to deep-discharge with a tool you can find on the
>> IBM/lenovo support site. If that doesn't help, look into buying a new
>> battery.
>>
>> Andr=E9.
>>
>> =20
>>
> Well, forwhat its worth, there is definately a problem with Ubuntu and=20
> 3rd party batteries.
> Heres the scenario.
> I have a thinkpadA21P with win 98 and slackware 10.2 on it.
> I have a new 3rd party battery, thats  from a friend who is a battery=20
> supplier for thinkpads. So I trust him and his batteries.
> Win 98 sees it fine and reports the proper charge amout.
> My son has the identical thinkpad with Ubuntu on it and this software=20
> cannot see this battery at all, nor indicate wether its being charged=20
> or not.
> Yet it sees the original IBM battery ok. and charges this ibm battery=20
> ok,even tho its now several years old and virtually dead.
> Ie it runs for about 10mins before dying.
> Im not a software person so dont know the answer to this, perhaps=20
> someone else is more capable.
> I know its a pain but the only test is to either put in another=20
> identical machine with windows in it or reinstall  the original ibm=20
> software.
> w
Thats an interesting tale. I wish I had paid more attention to what was=20
going on before I blitzed windows.

I might try booting another distro from CD and see what happens, or find=20
one of the small old laptop hard drives floating around here and try=20
windows.

if I can bear the constant reboots to install windows!

Thanks to all who replied.