Installing Slackware/11.0 on a ThinkPad T42

As the name suggests, this page documents a start-to-finish installation of Slackware 11 on a thinkpad T42. This is a work-in-progress, so check the history page for mistakes I made (if you are that type). Original installation done by User:Frobnitzem, additional edits performed by:

• none as yet

System Information

Gathering system information is like mice storing away for winter.

CPU	Pentium M, 1.7 GHz
Monitor resolution	1400x1050
Graphics	ATI Mobility Radeon 9600
Network	Intel Pro/1000 MT Mobile Connection
	Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG
CD/DVD	Matshita DVD-RAM UJ-812
PCMCIA	TI PCI-4520 Cardbus Controller
Sound	AD1981B(AC'97) (module snd-intel8x0 works on 2.4 kernel)
IR	IBM ThinkPad FastIR
HDD	Intel 82801DBM UATA-24CA for Fujitsu MHT2080AH

These sections follow in the order I installed them, with some of the later customizations do-able while the kernel is recompiling.

Installation proper

Grabbed a DVD install of Slackware 11 [1]. It failed to boot (maybe 2.4.33 kernel shipped doesn't recognize the drive?). Grabbed install CDs ibid. Sat through package selection process. Created a second user account (useradd).

Found out that sound is muted by default. Fix:

1. amixer set Master 70 unmute
2. amixer set PCM 70 unmute
3. amixer set CD 70 unmute
4. alsactl store

Installed all my favorite software, not worrying about how to make the wifi work for now or optimizing video performance.

Updating the Kernel to 2.6.x

As you may know, the wifi driver is in the 2.6.4 or newer kernels. This necessitated more work on my part and while I was at it I may as well recompile some respectability into my kernel.

1. cd install-media/extras/linux-2.6.17.13
2. pkgtool
   1. no to kernel itself (patience grasshopper)
   2. yes to source (modules and/or headers optional)
3. cd /usr/src/linux yes, the symlink had been changed to 2.6
4. install suspend2 kernel patch
   1. bzcat /path-to/suspend-2.2.8.2-for-2.6.17.13.patch.bz2 | patch -p1
5. cp .config Default.config
6. make mrproper
7. make menuconfig
   1. See options section, below.
   2. strangely, make complained about --no-stack-protector, so I deleted that option
8. If you compiled it as a module, make sure to add radeonfb to /etc/rc.d/rc.modules.

Suspend2 Kernel Patch

The last kernel patch for 2.6.17.13 released is 2.2.8.2-for-2.6.17.13 [2]. This requires the suspend2-userui version 0.6.4 [3]. I used the latest hibernate script, since this did not have any version disclaimers...

Kernel Options

Make sure you save your config. options somewhere safe, since you will probably need to recompile and/or reinstall the kernel sources a couple of times to get all the options right. In order to avoid compile-time errors, use make mrproper before make modules, but note that make mrproper deletes .config. You will have to removepkg and installpkg the kernel each time you do this if you have installed the latest ipw2200 module from source. Also, if you want to patch the kernel source to use the suspend2 and/or hdaps drive locking, do it before executing the following steps.

• Processor Family = Pentium M (scroll down)
• ACPI Options
  • CPUFreq driver = Intel Enhanced SpeedStep
    • ACPI Processor P-States = fall-back module
    • Don't use APM at all.
• IrDA
• Added reiserfs into the kernel to avoid messing with initrd
• Disabled all graphics modules in Devices->Graphics support except ATI Radeon display, which I built into the kernel (no conflict with fglrx)
• I built the following directly into the kernel
  • I2C device interface
  • Intel 82801 (ICH) I2C driver
  • e1000 Gbit ethernet driver
  • ALSA, OSS Mixer, OSS PCM, RTC Timer
  • Intel/SiS/nVidia/AMD/AL: AC97 (can disable other PCI sound modules)
  • LZF compression (needed for suspend2)

Recompile kernel overnight.

(make && make modules) ||  echo "poo-bear"

Install the thing. make modules_install depmod -ae 2.6.17.13 # I have heard that this is a good think to do, but your mileage may vary. make_install

realize that slackware is still using lilo, so install has just replaced vmlinuz. Copy original to unique name and symlink, then install new lilo menu.

cd /boot
cp /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage vmlinuz-2.6.17.13-Farfrumlernen
rm vmlinuz
ln vmlinuz-2.6.17.13-Farfrumlernen vmlinuz
vi /etc/lilo.conf 
lilo # see lilo options
reboot # with fingers crossed

Make sure you add another image="vmlinuz.old" to the file just incase the worst should happen... And hey, why not add append = "acpi_sleep=s3_bios" from SUSE on T42 while you're at it! My system hung on bootup with my first try here because it couldn't mount some filesystems. I added the noauto option to appropriate drives in /etc/fstab and everything was peachy again.

Lilo Options

Here is a printout of my lilo.conf file. Notice the cheat codes I pass to the kernel boot propmt in the append= line.

# LILO configuration file
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
  reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
vga = 771
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal

# End LILO global section
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
  label = Windows
  table = /dev/hda
# Windows bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/hda6
  label = Linux
  append = "acpi_sleep=s3_bios resume2=swap:/dev/hdaX"
  read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

image = /boot/vmlinuz.old
 root = /dev/hda6
 label = Linux-2.4.33.3
 read-only

Replace /dev/hdaX with your own swap partition please.

WiFi

Follow the install from source options, and don't forget to patch ipw2200-2.tgz because you're going to compile it anyway. I mistakenly used the development version of ieee802011-1.2.17 (instead of 1.2.15) with ipw220-1.2.0 and ipw2200-fw-3.0, but it is working anyway.

1. ieee802011-1.2.15
2. ipw220-1.2.0
3. ipw2200-fw-3.0 (contents of folder ipw2200-fw-3.0 not the folder itself goes in /lib/firmware)

In order to test wifi and make the thing go once it is working, I installed the Wireless Assistant package.

Some Customization

Special Module Configuration

Added suggested sections to /etc/modules.conf and /etc/modprobe.conf from Ipw2200, IrDA, and others.

/etc/modprobe.conf -- supercedes modules.conf with 2.6.x kernels

alias irda0 nsc-ircc
options nsc-ircc dongle_id=0x09 io=0x2f8 irq=3 dma=3
options ipw2200 led=1
options ipw2200 disable=1

ACPI

At this point, the kernel has already been configured to work with suspend2, so the ACPI event monitor should be up and running. Follow the instructions on How to configure acpid to create scripts in /etc/acpi to enable some good system behavior. Notes:

• some of the lid/powerbtn scripts are using different means to do the same thing
• that radeontool is not strictly necessary to get the backlight to turn off when the lid is closed
  • this seems to work out-of-the box via hardware -- try it yourself by pressing the lid button (black circle behind the Esc key) with your pen

Hardware Accident Protection

tp_smapi can compile you a kernel module to do this and get some cool accelermeter data, however I have not gotten it to compile yet because it requires another package and I am too buisy to go and look for it. Slackware 11 doesn't come with dmidecode [4], required by the Makefile of tp_smapi, so you will have to install this first.

Battery Monitor

gkrellm worked with the kernel's hdaps module just fine. Have yet to try it with tp_smapi's hdaps module.

Muse at all the time I could spend on making special keys work.

LEDs

Would be nice to figure out how to make the lights blink in sequence.

X11 Configuration

Installed ATI's own Mobility Radeon driver installer [5].

Additions:

• aticonfig --initial seems to have forgotten to fix the DRM permissions, so glxgears doesn't perform until:

  Section "DRI"
    Mode 0666
  EndSection

• Option "DPMS" in Monitor section.