Install Guide: Debian Etch on T42 incl. Compiz
I have installed Debian Etch on my recently acquired IBM thinkpad T42.
I am planning to install all the bells and whistles on it, including undervolting, cpu frequency control, HDD shock proctection, compiz, wireless. I will post updates whenever I successfully install each module. This guide is meant for noobs, I'm a pretty noob too, so experts, please bear with me. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. :) Specs: IBM thinkpad T42 Pentium M 2Ghz Dothan 2GB ram 38GB HDD 1400x1050 SXGA+ screen ATI Mobility radeon 7500 video card with 32 mb ram Atheros a/b/g wireles card Done: Base install, Suspend/hibernate, cpu frequency control, compiz. Base Install: I installed using the net install debian etch CD. I was connected to the internet via the ethernet. I partitioned the HDD (38GB) into Windows partiton A fat32 partition (4.5GB) A / partition (6.3GB) A /home partition (17GB) A swap partition (2GB) I chose the "laptop" and "desktop" and "standard system" packages. It installed everything, there was one warning message on one of the packages, I think it had to do with suspend to ram, I just clicked ok. It rebooted into SXGA+ resolution, I logged in, did an update immediately, then immediately rebooted. This was via ethernet. Post Install Configuration: I edited my /etc/apt/sources.list file to the following: Code:
# Code:
apt-get install ... Just substitute aptitude instead of apt-get. If you just type aptitude by itslef, it will open up in the console a list of packages installed, those available etc. More on aptitude as a REF: http://people.debian.org/~dburrows/aptitude-doc/en/ Back to the install. I did Code:
aptitude update Then I installed some packages: Code:
aptitude install build-essential Code:
uname -r Code:
aptitude install linux-headers-2.6.18-4-868 Then the next thing to install is: Code:
aptitude install debian-multimedia-keyring Then do update: Code:
aptitude update Code:
aptitude install kaffeine xmms xpdf gv mplayer xine-ui rcconf is a neat console based utility to select which services should and should not be started at boot time. I then deslected some services that were starting up, like mail-server utilities, printer, bittorent. Standby/Hibernate: These were working out of the box, provide I was logged in. I get kernel panic if I'm at the lgin menu. But if I'm logged in, then work fine. Standby to RAM works espcially fast, like 5 seconds. And wake up equally fast. Only problem is the area below the spacebar remains a bit warm in stanby. The wireless card and the gpu are in that area. I'm not sure how to fix that. CPU Frequency Control: I have to first remove this: Code:
aptitude remove powernowd Code:
aptitude install sysfsutils cpufreqd cpufrequtils Code:
modprobe speedstep-centrino We'll test that everything went as expected: Code:
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_available_governors Code:
powersave conservative ondemand performance userspace Code:
echo powersave > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor Code:
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/cpuinfo_cur_freq Add the following lines to the end of /etc/modules Code:
speedstep-centrino Code:
devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor=userspace Then I added a cpu frequency changing applet as described here:http://www.ubuntugeek.com/howto-chan...in-ubuntu.html This applet can also change governors. Tip: Whenever I plug out of AC power and plug in again, I would find myself on "performance" governor, I would then change to powersave to change the cpu frequency. Compiz: /etc/X11/xorg.conf had to be modified first. Make a backup: Code:
cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak Under the section "Device" Code:
Section "Device" Code:
Monitor "Generic Monitor" Code:
Load "dbe" Finally, at the end of xorg.cong, you should have Code:
Section "DRI" Code:
glxinfo | grep direct Code:
direct rendering: Yes Starting with xorg 7.1, AIGLX is integrated in the X server. Also, it should get loaded automatically. Ensure that it does : Code:
cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -i aiglx Code:
Option "AIGLX" "true" Log out, restart X (CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE), and verify things still work :D Log in. Now we install compiz: Code:
aptitude install compiz Code:
compiz --replace --fast-filter This can be started automatically in gnome upon login: Go in Desktop -> Preferences -> Sessions. Then choose the Startup Programs tab and add an entry for Compiz : Code:
compiz --replace --fast-filter ToDo: Wireless, undervolting, HDD shock protection. References: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...splay.php?f=26 http://lunapark6.com/debian-40-etch.html http://www.debiantutorials.org/content/view/161/211/ http://www.debian-multimedia.org/ http://people.debian.org/~dburrows/a...h02s02s02.html http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=248867 http://www.ubuntugeek.com/howto-chan...in-ubuntu.html http://www.student.tue.nl/Q/j.f.berndsen/debian/ http://technowizah.com/2006/10/debia...lx-compiz.html http://aparateys.blogspot.com/2007/0...y-fawn-on.html https://www.dedigentoo.org/trac/linu...#Documentation http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=146366 http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Pentiu..._underclocking |
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I'm running an older version of the same machine, a T42. Yours has a different wireless card, different processor, but the rest of it seems similar.
Its too bad about the processor/wireless change. Your processor is faster for sure, but having the one in mine came with an intel ipw2200 wireless, which now has modules in the main kernel. All you needed to get it working in Debian is the firmware. Code:
jim@jimsworktop:~$ cat /proc/cpuinfo Code:
jim@jimsworktop:~$ lsmod |grep ipw Also, its great that you're helping other people out by posting a guide like this, but trying to do an "everything" guide will only work as long as the hardware stays consistent. If I had done the work you're doing (and obviously I didn't), my guide would be useless now, as half the hardware seems to have changed. I'm not trying to discourage you from doing it, but hand holding like that isn't very Debian. Peace, JimBass |
That is OK. I hope my guide will be applicable to all T42s with 7500 ATI card, except for perhaps wireless. Even if its only applicable to only my configs, I'll be happy. I need me some handholding :D
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