Installing Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) on a ThinkPad X220
I installed Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) on a ThinkPad X220, model 42902GW.
Contents
Netboot
As a source of network installation files I made use of another GNU/Linux computer on my home LAN which is connected to the Internet through a familiar ADSL-modem/gateway/router/caching nameserver/DHCP server (call it "the gateway") at address 172.19.3.1. The gateway's DHCP server issues leases in the range 172.19.3.2 to 172.19.3.100.
First I set up the "source" machine, in my case one which already also had Ubuntu 11.04 installed. It has address 172.19.3.7 (assigned to it by the gateway's DHCP server). For the X220 to boot from it the machine needs to run a DHCP server and a TFTP server. The DHCP server serves only this special purpose since, as I mentioned, the gateway is the network's main DHCP server. The source's DHCP server must be so configured that it doesn't conflict with the existing DHCP server.
Install the isc-dhcp-server package and edit /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf using the following as a model. I am not sure that every line is needed, but this worked for me.
ddns-update-style none;
option domain-name-servers 172.19.3.1; # This is the address of my gateway
option routers 172.19.3.1; # This is the address of my gateway
option subnet-mask 255.255.0.0; # This is the netmask of my home network
default-lease-time 600;
max-lease-time 7200;
allow booting;
allow bootp;
subnet 172.19.3.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
range 172.19.3.220 172.19.3.229; # This is a range separate from the one used by the gateway and includes the address below
}
group {
next-server 172.19.3.7; # This is the address of the "source"
host trawsfynydd { # 'trawsfynydd' is the name I chose for my X220
hardware ethernet f0:de:f1:6b:22:bf; # This is the Ethernet address of the X220
fixed-address 172.19.3.220; # This is an address in the range as defined above
filename "/pxelinux.0";
}
}
Now install the tftpd-hpa package, download the network installation tarball and untar it into the location whence tftpd serves files.
$ cd /tmp $ wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/natty/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/netboot.tar.gz $ cd /var/lib/tftpboot $ sudo tar zxf /tmp/netboot.tar.gz
Second set up the X220 for PXE (Pre-boot eXecution Environment).
- Switch on the X220 and press F1. ThinkPad Setup starts.
- Set Config | Network | Ethernet LAN Option ROM to "Enabled".
- Select Startup | Boot; select "PCI LAN IBA GE Slot..." and use the [+] key to move it to the top of the boot priority order
- Press F10 to save and exit.
Voilà, the X220 boots the Ubuntu installer.
Installation
I won't describe the Ubuntu installer. I'll just mention some little problems I had.
First, when it came time to resize the existing (ntfs) partition the partitioner asked what size I would like for "this partition". Did it mean the to-be-resized ntfs partition or the new ext4 partition?
Turns out it meant: the to-be-resized ntfs partition, so the suggested "max" selection was the opposite of what I wanted.
Second, when I selected (only) the "Ubuntu desktop" task the installation reported failure without explaining what had gone wrong.
I de-selected all tasks and the installation succeeded.
Third, after reboot the screen came up black.
I pressed CTRL-ALT-F1 to get the system console so I could log in.
After logging in I ran tasksel and installed "Ubuntu desktop" and this time no failure was reported.
Information
dmidecode
# dmidecode -s system-manufacturer LENOVO # dmidecode -s system-product-name 42902WG # dmidecode -s system-version ThinkPad X220
/proc/cpuinfo
processor : 0 vendor_id : GenuineIntel cpu family : 6 model : 42 model name : Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2540M CPU @ 2.60GHz stepping : 7 cpu MHz : 800.000 cache size : 3072 KB physical id : 0 siblings : 4 core id : 0 cpu cores : 2 apicid : 0 initial apicid : 0 fpu : yes fpu_exception : yes cpuid level : 13 wp : yes flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx smx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm sse4_1 sse4_2 x2apic popcnt aes xsave avx lahf_lm ida arat epb xsaveopt pln pts dts tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid bogomips : 5182.27 clflush size : 64 cache_alignment : 64 address sizes : 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual power management:
lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller (rev 09) 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09) 00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04) 00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection (rev 04) 00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 (rev 04) 00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04) 00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev b4) 00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev b4) 00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev b4) 00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 5 (rev b4) 00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 (rev 04) 00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family LPC Controller (rev 04) 00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family 6 port SATA AHCI Controller (rev 04) 00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 6 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 04) 03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (rev 34) 0d:00.0 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd Device e823 (rev 04)
lsusb
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub Bus 001 Device 006: ID 04f2:b217 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd Bus 001 Device 005: ID 0a5c:217f Broadcom Corp. Bluetooth Controller Bus 001 Device 004: ID 147e:2016 Upek Biometric Touchchip/Touchstrip Fingerprint Sensor Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:2514 Standard Microsystems Corp. USB 2.0 Hub Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Accessories
Accessories I purchased for this laptop:
- ThinkPad UltraBase Series 3 with built-in Serial Ultrabay Slim
- Serial Ultrabay Slim DVD Multi IV Drive
- ThinkPad Mini Dock Series 3 433710U which comes with a 90W power supply
- 1.95Ah battery 42T4901
- 8.4Ah battery 42T4942
Configuration
Fingerprint reader
See how to enable the integrated fingerprint reader with fprint.
Fix for zoom key shortcoming
By default the Zoom hotkey (Fn-Space) does nothing in the GUI. The thinkpad-acpi module and the kernel map the zoom key's ACPI event (ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001014) correctly to input event KEY_ZOOM (372), but this number is out of the range of key-event codes (maximum 255) that X can currently handle.
A workaround is to add a /etc/udev/rules.d/keymap.rules file to cause the ACPI event to be remapped to some other input event.
The following /etc/udev/rules.d/keymap.rules maps Fn-Space to "search" which becomes X event XF86Search. The latter can be assigned a function in System Settings | Keyboard Shortcuts — by default it brings up the desktop search dialog.
ACTION=="remove", GOTO="keyboard_end"
SUBSYSTEM!="input", GOTO="keyboard_end"
KERNEL!="event*", GOTO="keyboard_end"
ENV{DMI_VENDOR}=="LENOVO*", KERNELS=="input*", ATTRS{name}=="ThinkPad Extra Buttons", RUN+="keymap $name 0x13 search"
LABEL="keyboard_end"
For some reason, ACPI event "...14" corresponds to 0x13 — one less — in the keymap file. Likewise ACPI event "...1b", generated by the microphone-mute button, corresponds to 0x1a.
A better solution is being worked on in the form of keymap override files. With the patch in Debian bug report #556045 applied to /lib/udev/keymap the procedure is
# sudo su # mkdir /etc/udev/keymaps # cp /lib/udev/keymaps/module-lenovo /etc/udev/keymaps # vi /etc/udev/keymaps/module-lenovo
In the last step, edit the file so that 0x13 is mapped to search.
This won't work for you until the new feature gets into udev, which should be sometime in late 2011.
Fix for microphone-mute key shortcoming
In Keyboard Shortcuts press Add to create a new shortcut and create "Microphone mute" with the following command.
sh -c "if amixer get Capture,0 | grep -q '\[on\]' ; then amixer -q set Capture,0 nocap ; else amixer -q set Capture,0 cap; fi"
Assign this to, e.g., XF86Launch2, and cause the microphone-mute key to generate XF86Launch2 using a udev remapping:
0x1a prog2
Fix for the known no-system-beep problem
As I described in more detail earlier:
- Create .xprofile containing
pactl upload-sample /usr/share/sounds/gnome/default/alerts/glass.ogg bell.ogg
- Run gconf-editor and at desktop | gnome | peripherals | keyboard change the value of bell_mode from off to on.
- If the default bell volume of 50 (percent) is not loud enough, add a line like the following to ~/.bashrc.
xset b 100
- To cause terminal bells to ring also in non-X terminals (e.g., the console terminal), comment out the blacklist pcspkr line in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf.
Fix for "[drm:i915_hangcheck_ring_idle] *ERROR* Hangcheck timer elapsed... blt ring idle..." problem
To fix this known problem upgrade Linux to the version in the linux-image-2.6.38-11-generic package.linux-image-2.6.38-11-generic
Miscellaneous
- Having installed bare Ubuntu I had to run tasksel and select at least "Ubuntu Desktop".
- In order to allow NetworkManager to manage eth0 I had to comment out the "eth0" stanza in /etc/network/interfaces
- I used System Settings | Ubuntu Software Center to install ccsm ("Advanced Desktop Effects Settings") so I could enable Wobbly Windows and so I can initiate window resize with Alt+Button3 which is easier than the default Alt-Button2 (i.e., Alt-scrollwheelbutton).
- Add PPAs to apt sources list for additional indicators
Additional info
- There are newer display drivers available.
Problems
Multiple monitors
Configuring an extended desktop over two monitors leads often to malfunction. Side-by-side works, one above the other does not.
I recommend to new users of natty that they avoid changing configuration defaults as much as possible.
Suspend causes kernel panic
"Suspend-to-RAM and brightness control of the display work with kernel >= 3.0-rc6" according to this fellow.
tp-smapi won't load
The tp-smapi and hdaps modules don't load on my X220. Correspondingly, thinkpad-acpi reports the EC firmware number as "unknown".
The BIOS setup program reports this information about the BIOS:
- Model 42902WG
- UEFI BIOS 8DET46WW (1.16) 2011-05-18
- Embedded Controller 8DHT23WW (1.07)
A fix seems to be in the works.
TPM can't be used
To try it out, install tpm-tools.
tpm_version fails with "Communication failure".
Comparison with a Ubuntu 10.10 user's experience
- (improvements)
- I didn't have to do anything special to have the thinkpad-acpi module loaded or use special keys
- The mute-microphone button can be made to work as described above
- Both left and right microphones are seen
- I have no difficulties with the fans
- I have no difficulties with SD cards
- The "Hangcheck timer elapsed" problem has been fixed in a new kernel version, as described above
- (disimprovements)
- Suspend doesn't always work
Things to look into
- Thoroughly test docking and undocking
- Thoroughly test suspending and resuming
Key table
This table was prepared with local key remapping, discussed elsewhere on this page, disabled.
References:
- Hotkey architecture in Ubuntu
- Hotkey troubleshooting instructions
- /usr/include/linux/input.h -- list of Linux key codes
- Default meanings of special keys
| Key combination | Extra function symbol | Scan code (showkey -s) (hex) |
Linux key code (showkey -k) |
Input event (input-events) |
... on input device(*) | ACPI event (acpi_listen) |
X event (xev) |
Keyboard Shortcuts name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 📢⃥ (loudspeaker icon with stroke) | down: e0 20 up: e0 a0 |
113 | KEY_MIN_INTERESTING (0x71) | 3 | (none) | 121 | XF86AudioMute | |
| −📢 (minus sign, loudspeaker icon) | down: e0 2e up: e0 ae |
114 | KEY_VOLUMEDOWN (0x72) | 3 | (none) | 122 | XF86AudioLowerVolume | |
| 📢+ (loudspeaker icon, plus sign) | down: e0 30 up: e0 b0 |
115 | KEY_VOLUMEUP (0x73) | 3 | (none) | 123 | XF86AudioRaiseVolume | |
| 🎤⃥ (microphone icon with stroke) | (none) | 240 (rop) | KEY_UNKNOWN (0xf0) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 0000101b | 248 | "∅" (sic) | |
| ThinkVantage | down: e0 1f e0 9f | 148 (rop) | KEY_PROG1 (0x94) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001018 | 156 | XF86Launch1 | |
| Fn | up: e0 63 e0 e3 | 143 | KEY_WAKEUP (0x8f) | 3 | (none) | 151 | XF86WakeUp | |
| Fn-F1 | (none) | 466 (rop) | KEY_FN_F1 (0x1d2) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001001 | (none) | (none) | |
| Fn-F2 | 🔒 (padlock symbol) | down: e0 12 e0 92 | 152 (rop) | KEY_SCREENLOCK (0x98) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001002 | 160 | XF86ScreenSaver |
| Fn-F3 | 🔋 (battery symbol) | down: e0 71 e0 f1 | 236 (rop) | KEY_BATTERY (0xec) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001003 | 244 | XF86Battery |
| Fn-F4 | ☾ | down: e0 5f e0 df (but sometimes nothing) |
142 (rop) | KEY_SLEEP (0x8e) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001004 | 150 | XF86Sleep |
| Fn-F5 | ⸨💻⸩ (radiating computer symbol) | down: e0 73 e0 f3 | 238 (rop) | KEY_WLAN (0xee) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001005 | 246 | XF86WLAN |
| Fn-F6 | (camera, headset) | down: e0 3b e0 bb | 212 (rop) | KEY_CAMERA (0xd4) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001006 | 220 | XF86WebCam |
| Fn-F7 | 💻⎚ (computer symbol, screen symbol) | down: e0 56 e0 d6 | 227 (rop) | KEY_SWITCHVIDEOMODE (0xe3) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001007 | 235 | XF86Display |
| Fn-F8 | (trackpoint symbol, vertical bar, trackpad symbol) | down: e0 74 e0 f4 | 191 (rop) | KEY_F21 (0xbf) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001008 | 199 | XF86TouchpadToggle |
| Fn-F9 | down: 6f ef | 194 (rop) | KEY_F24 (0xc2) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001009 | 202 | "Ê" (sic) | |
| Fn-F10 | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | |||
| Fn-F11 | (none) | 476 (rop) | KEY_FN_F11 (0x1dc) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 0000100b | (none) | (none) | |
| Fn-F12 | 💻 ▶❍ (computer symbol, right arrowhead, diskpack symbol) | down: e0 25 e0 a5 (but sometimes nothing) |
205 (rop) | KEY_SUSPEND (0xcd) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 0000100c | 213 | XF86Suspend |
| Fn-Home | ☀▴ | down: e0 54 e0 d4 e0 54 e0 d4 | 225 (double) (rop) | KEY_BRIGHTNESSUP (0xe1) | 4, 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001010 and video LCD0 00000086 00000000 | 233 | XF86MonBrightnessUp |
| Fn-End | ☀▾ | down: e0 4c e0 cc e0 4c e0 cc | 224 (double) (rop) | KEY_BRIGHTNESSDOWN (0xe0) | 4, 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001011 and video LCD0 00000087 00000000 | 232 | XF86MonBrightnessDown |
| Fn-PgUp | (illuminating overhead lamp symbol) | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
| Fn-Space | [🔍+] (screen with magnifying glass symbol and plus sign, i.e., "zoom" symbol) | (none) | 372 (rop) | KEY_ZOOM (0x174) | 6 | ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001014 | (none) | (none) |
| Fn-→ | ⏭ (barred right arrowhead, i.e., "next" symbol) | down: e0 19 up: e0 99 |
163 | KEY_NEXTSONG (0xa3) | 3 | (none) | 171 | XF86AudioNext |
| Fn-↓ | ⏯ (right arrowhead, double bar, i.e., "play/pause" symbol) | down: e0 22 up: e0 a2 |
164 | KEY_PLAYPAUSE (0xa4) | 3 | (none) | 172 | XF86AudioPlay |
| Fn-← | ⏮ (barred left arrowhead, i.e., "prev" symbol) | down: e0 10 up: e0 90 |
165 | KEY_PREVIOUSSONG (0xa5) | 3 | (none) | 173 | XF86AudioPrev |
| Fn-↑ | ∎ ("stop play" symbol) | down: e0 24 up: e0 a4 |
166 | KEY_STOPCD (0xa6) | 3 | (none) | 174 | XF86AudioStop |
| ◂ ⎗ (left arrowhead, page icon) | down: e0 6a up: e0 ea |
158 | KEY_BACK (0x9e) | 3 | (none) | 166 | XF86Back | |
| ⎘ ▸ (page icon, right arrowhead) | down: e0 69 up: e0 e9 |
159 | KEY_FORWARD (0x9f) | 3 | (none) | 167 | XF86Forward |
In the Linux key code column, "rop" means "release on press", i.e., the release event is generated at the same time as the press event.
The button on the UltraBase doesn't seem to generate any events visible to userspace.
Input device numbers and types as reported by lsinput:
| n | name |
|---|---|
| 0 | "Lid Switch" |
| 1 | "Sleep Button" |
| 2 | "Power Button" |
| 3 | "AT Translated Set @ keyboard" |
| 4 | "Video Bus" |
| 5 | "Integrated Camera" |
| 6 | "ThinkPad Extra Buttons" |
| 7 | "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad" |
| 8 | "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint" |
Hotkey mask when the above table was compiled:
$ cat /sys/devices/platform/thinkpad_acpi/hotkey_mask 0x078dffff $ cat /sys/devices/platform/thinkpad_acpi/hotkey_all_mask 0x07ffffff $ cat /sys/devices/platform/thinkpad_acpi/hotkey_recommended_mask 0x078dffff $ cat /sys/devices/platform/thinkpad_acpi/hotkey_report_mode 1
