Linux Mint 5 on IBM ThinkPad T41

After trying out Sabayon 4 and Fedora 10 on the IBM ThinkPad, I did not like them ... so i started to look for another distro. Need something lean and fast for this old machine. Downloaded Puppy Linux but not sure it can support the hardware, the live CD cannot detect the wifi card. Then I decide to get somethng based on Debian or should i say Ubuntu ...Linux Mint 5 "Elyssa" XFCE edition.

Installation was a breeze, wireless was out of the box and boot speed is faster. Still some problem were encounter:

(1) Update is slooow ... seems like it is going to the Ubuntu repo. in U.S. to get the updates. So i change it all (except security) to the one in Singapore.

#nano /etc/apt/sources.list

## -------------------
## UBUNTU REPOSITORIES
## -------------------

## +++ Hardy (Ubuntu 8.04) +++
deb http://sg.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://sg.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-security main restricted universe multiverse

(2) My T41 is docked to a IBM Port Replicator II, which is hooked up to a 19 inch Philips LCD monitor. The problem is when Linux Mint boot up in dock, the Philips will display the wallpaper in 1280x1024 (optimize resolution for external LCD) but the task bar and whatever maximize windows screen will only take up 1024x768 (optimize resolution for notebook). Try changing the settings in /etc/X11/xorg.conf but nothing works.

Finally got the task bar to the correct 1280x1024 by turning off the T41 internal screen.

#xrandr --output LVDS --off

Hence I created 2 launcher on the desktop to turn on and turn off the screen.

#xrandr --output LVDS --auto

This is my /etc/X11/xorg.conf:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by failsafeDexconf, using
# values from the debconf database and some overrides to use vesa mode.
#
# You should use dexconf or another such tool for creating a "real" xorg.conf
# For example:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Module"
 Load  "dri"
 Load  "glx"
 Load  "GLcore"
 Load  "v4l"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
 Driver  "kbd"
 Option  "XkbRules" "xorg"
 Option  "XkbModel" "pc105"
 Option  "XkbLayout" "us"
 Option  "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Configured Mouse"
 Driver  "mouse"
 Option  "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
 Driver  "synaptics"
 Option  "SendCoreEvents" "true"
 Option  "Device" "/dev/psaux"
 Option  "Protocol" "auto-dev"
 Option  "HorizEdgeScroll" "0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier  "InternalLCD"
        Option   "DPMS" "true"
 Gamma  1.0
EndSection

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Configured Video Device"
 Vendorname  "ATI"
 Boardname "ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500]"
 Driver   "radeon"
        BusID           "PCI:1:0:0"
 Screen  0

 # option available when DRI is enabled
 Option  "DRI" "true"
        Option          "AGPMode" "4"
 Option   "AGPFastWrite" "true"

        # enable radeon specific xinerama
#       Option          "MergedFB" "true"
#       Option          "CRT2Position" "Clone"
#       Option          "CRT2Hsync" "50-75"
#       Option          "CRT2VRefresh" "30-82"
#       Option          "MetaModes" "1024x768-1280x1024 1024x768 800x600"
#       Option          "MergedNonRectangular" "true"

# Option   "AccelMethod" "XAA"
# Option  "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"

 # only when EXA is selected
  Option   "AccelMethod" "EXA"
 Option   "AccelDFS" "true"

 # acceleration and misc
  Option   "EnablePageFlip" "true"
       Option          "RenderAccel" "true"
 Option   "DMAForXv" "true"
 Option   "GARTSize" "128"
 Option   "ColorTiling" "true"
 Option   "BackingStore" "true"
  Option   "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"
 Option   "EnableDepthMoves" "true"

        # enable (partial) PowerPlay features
        Option          "DynamicClocks" "true"

        # use bios hot keys on thinkpad (aka fn+f7)
        Option          "BIOSHotkeys" "true"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier  "Default Screen"
        Device   "Configured Video Device"
        Monitor  "InternalLCD"
        DefaultDepth  16
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth  16
                Modes  "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
 Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
 Identifier "Default Layout"
 Screen  "Default Screen"
 InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
 InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

(2) My NTFS data partition is not mounted. No problem, google the web and found the solution.

I create the mount partition in /media

#mkdir /media/windows

Then i modify the /etc/fstab

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
# /dev/sda5
UUID=98cc2ffd-ce16-49a1-be33-206ecaafdc09 /               ext3    relatime,errors=remount-ro 0       1
# /dev/sda6
UUID=40af3aea-ce02-4219-a974-bc85248137c3 none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/scd0       /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0
/dev/fd0        /media/floppy0  auto    rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0

#/dev/sda2
/dev/sda2 /media/windows ntfs-3g defaults,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 1

(3) Disable the splash screen and see the boot up, I have to modify the line in /boot/grub/menu.lst to

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=/dev/sda5 ro vga=791

To be continue ..

18 Feb 2009: I stopped using Mint … found that i don't like XFCE interface … now having Ubuntu 8.04..