Installing Fedora on a ThinkPad T60

Creation timestamp: Whizkid 05:00, 6 February 2008 (CET)

This document is meant to be the definitive resource to getting the latest current release of Fedora running on a ThinkPad T60. I welcome improvements to the page, especially for hardware I don't have (video chips, WiFi cards, WWAN devices).

This document is current for Fedora 8. Fedora 9 Alhpa 1 has just been released, but we have a few months before that goes gold.

Installation Methods

Every T60 has a drive that can read DVDs. Nothing else is needed during the install, and it's the method I'm documenting first. Other methods of installation are detailed on the Fedora web site.

Pre-installation

Fedora 8 does not have a method to shrink NTFS partitions during installation. You can use Knoppix or other LiveCD's to do that if you want to dual-boot. Links to pages on how to do that would be nice right about.... here.

Installation tips:

• Set the optical drive mode to High Performance during the installation to speed it up a little.

Installation Steps

• Boot the DVD. I recommend completing the media test at least once on each disc you burn. You are presented with a title screen and no instructions. (That's what we're for!) Click Next.
• Select the installation language. Click Next.
• Select your keyboard language. Click Next. The installer looks for existing installations. You are prompted to choose a clean installation or upgrade. I'm documenting a clean install. Click Next.
• You are asked how to partition your drive. The default is to remove existing Linux partitions. That's a fine choice. Turn on the Review check box to see how it will partition the drive if you're curious. Click Next.
• Confirm that you want to delete partitions.

If you checked the Review box above, you are presented with the new disk layout. Edit as you please then click Next.

• The installer looks for other installed operating systems. You are asked where the boot loader will be installed. If you want to keep ThinkVantage functionality, check Configure advanced boot loader options. You can change the label of the other operating systems on the drive and select a default OS. Click Next.

If you selected advanced option configuration, you are asked where the boot loader should be installed. Select the first sector of the boot partition, not the MBR, if you want ThinkVantage to work at startup, or if you want another OS to manage the boot process. We may want to add kernel parameters here. Click Next.

• You are asked whether the wired Ethernet controller should be active on boot. Since I use mine with WiFi most of the time, I turn that off and set the hostname manually. Click Next. Click Continue to confirm no network devices at boot if asked.
• Select your time zone, choose whether or not the clock uses UTC and click Next.
• Enter your root password. Do it again. Click Next.
• The installer looks for common installation packages. Since everything is out of date already, I turn off all options and customize later. Click Next.
• The installer checks dependencies. You are asked one last time to confirm installation. Nothing has yet been written to the disk and this is the last point you can abort installation without changing anything on the drive. Click Next.

The partition table is written, partitions are formatted, the install image is copied and packages are installed. The disc is ejected and you are asked to reboot the machine. The process took 17 minutes on my T60 with a 2.0GHz Core Duo and 5400RPM hard drive.

First Boot

During the first boot, the system may wait a long time while trying to connect to a WiFi access point, even though your WiFi card may not have been detected by the installer.

• A welcome screen is presented. Your screen should now be in its native resolution. Click Forward.
• A license information screen is presented. Click Forward.
• Firewall configuration is presented. Configure as you like. Click Forward.
• SELinux setting is presented. Click Forward.
• Set your local date and time. Click Forward.
• Your hardware profile is shown. If you opt in and send your profile, your machine is counted by the Fedora team to get an idea of the population on which Fedora runs. Consider opting in to let them know we have these machines and want Fedora to run well on them. Click Forward.
• Create a user. Click Finish. Done!

Get Updates

Get a network connection going and get all recent updates. Reboot if a new kernel is installed. I like to use NetworkManager.

Configuring NetworkManager

This section does not apply if you login using network authentication.

• First make sure neither network device is enabled at boot time. Select System->Administration->Network. For each device listed, double-click it and turn off Activate device when computer starts. You may wish to enable Allow all users to enable and disable the device. Save changes and quit.
• Select System->Administration->Services. Check NetworkManager and NetworkManagerDispatcher and start each one. Save the configuration.

Your wired network will automatically connect and your wireless networks should now be visible. To connect to a wireless network, click the NetworkManager notification icon and click the network to join. NetworkManager is not perfect, and requires you to enter a keyring password at times, but it's a nice way to connect to networks.

Shortly after you connect to the internet, you should be notified that there are updates available. If you are asked for the install media, you can disable that repository.

Device Configuration

Audio

The Intel 82801G (ICH7) High Definition Audio Controller is identified and enabled automatically. The AD198x Analog PCM device works for audio. The Digital PCM device does not seem to work. Could it be that it only works in a dock?

Video Chip

ATI X1300 and ATI X1400

Currently, Fedora does not include a driver specific to this card. It selects the vesa driver, which works fine, but performance is slow.

WiFi

Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG

This card is detected and enabled automatically. The activity indicator LED doesn't work with the standard driver. That appears to have been fixed in the latest version of the driver, but that is not yet in Fedora.

Pointing Devices

TrackPoint

The TrackPoint pointing device works automatically. Information on getting the middle button to act as a scroll wheel goes here.

TrackPad

I disable the TrackPad in the BIOS, but will put information here on getting that to work.