[ltp] Re: Linux on T42

[Bertrand Servin]

Hi,

Mark Nelson wrote:
> Hello 
> 
> I'm thinking of purchasing a T42 Thinkpad,Model Name: 2373FYG Part
> Number: UC2FYUK,
> (http://www5.pc.ibm.com/uk/products.nsf/$wwwPartNumLookup/_UC2FYUK?Open
> Document).)
> 
> Has anyone installed Linux on this laptop?  I have  a few quick
> questions,

I installed a Slackware 10 on a different T42 :
http://www-132.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=8713478&storeId=1&langId=-1&categoryId=2585864&dualCurrId=73&catalogId=-840

I run a 2.6.7 vanilla kernel on this one.

> 1.  Does it support APM and ACPI (I've had mixed experience of ACPI on
> other laptops)

I did not completely get into configuring the ACPI yet, I did not try
APM. If you want to suspend to disk, you may consider patching
the kernel with the swsusp2 patch.

> 2.  It's a centrino, will this cause any problems (the processor is a 
> Intel Pentium M Processor 725)

I have a 735, the great thing is the speedstep feature. I can adjust
the CPU speed on the fly. There is three possible configurations :
- maximal power : processor runs at max speed all the time
- minimal power : min speed all the time
- dynamic : increases speed when needed, which makes it a good
             compromise between power saving and performance.

The previous thread is on that.

Another thing is you can use Power Managment for the video
card, that allows to adjust the brightness when plugged/unplugged.
I think the ATI Powerplay support is not yet integrated in the
last x.org release, and you may not want to recompile Xorg (I
did not :), but I used the binary drivers provided here :
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~vbraun/computing/T41/power.html


The internal model works great with the linuxant drivers (which
are not free but cheap).

> I'm planning to run Debian testing on this laptop if this makes any
> difference.

Consider Slackware ;) I love Debian, but for the laptop I wanted
recent softwares, so I decided to give slackware a try and
I really like it.

Bertrand
-- 
Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct,
not tried it. (Donald Knuth)