Installing Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise Pangolin) on a ThinkPad X220

I installed Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Natty Narwhal) on a ThinkPad X220, model 42902GW.

This is the same machine on which I previously installed Ubuntu 11.04. For this LTS release I decided to do a clean install rather than an upgrade from 11.10.

With every release of Ubuntu configuration becomes easier. Here is a summary of what I had to do to get the machine back to the way I like it.

• Move documents, pictures and other personal files from old to new home directory
• Adjust display layout
  • Problem: With some layouts the machine hangs! Will look into this.
• Disable Unity automaximization
  • Install and run gconf-editor and set apps|compiz-1|plugins|grid|screen0|options|top_edge_action to 0 (originally 10).
• Adjust touchpad
  • Switch to two-finger scrolling
  • Disable mouse clicks
• Set desktop background image
• Install compizconfig-settings-manager and run ccsm:
  • Assign the Resize Windows function to Alt-Button3 which is easier than the default
• Enable terminal bell:
  • Run gconf-editor and use it to change desktop | gnome | peripherals | keyboard | bell_mode from "off" to "on"
  • Add "pactl upload-sample /usr/share/sounds/gnome/default/alerts/glass.ogg bell.ogg" to .xprofile
  • Add "[ "$DISPLAY" ] && xset b 100" to ~/.bashrc
• Install tp-smapi module
  • Install tp-smapi-dkms
  • Add "tp-smapi" to /etc/modules
• Install HDAPS stuff:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linrunner/thinkpad-extras
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install hdaps-utils
sudo modprobe hdaps
hdaps-gl

• • Add "hdaps" to /etc/modules
• In /etc/sudoers add "Defaults timestamp_timeout=0"
• Enable fingerprint reader as I described here:
  • add-apt-repository ppa:fingerprint/fprint
  • apt-get install libpam-fprintd fprintd
  • Run fprintd-enroll
  • Edit /etc/pam.d/lightdm
• Associate my bluetooth HIDs.
• Set up hotkeys (zoom and micmute) as I described earlier