Linux and IBM Thinkpad Z61p Type 2628-FXG

Z61p and Linux - success story.
It is my 4th Thinkpad notebook. The previous model was Thinkpad R51, and I was very happy with it during 2.5 year. Now it is a time for upgrade...

Specifications:

  • Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 2.0GHz, 4MB L2, 667MHz FSB
  • Memory: 2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM
  • Hard Disk: 100 GB 7200rpm
  • DVD: Recordable 8x Dual Layer
  • Display: 15.4" WUXGA
  • Video: ATI Mobility Fire GL V5200 256MB
  • WiFi: ThinkPad 11a/b/g
I need Windows and Linux coexisting at this laptop. The preinstalled OS is WindowsXP with all disk space available assigned to C: and hidden backup partitions. Partition Magic by PowerQuest correctly allowed me to repartition the disk as follows: 
Disk /dev/sda: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
240 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12921 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 15120 * 512 = 7741440 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        8263    62468248+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2            8264        8295      241920   82  Linux swap
/dev/sda3            8296        9599     9858240   83  Linux
/dev/sda4            9600       12921    25114320   83  Linux
Slackware-11.0 has been installed using /dev/sda3 as / and /dev/sda2 as swap partition. /dev/sda4 is my home directory.

X server - nothing special. Here is my XF86Config file.

Kernel. I use stable 2.6.18 kernel. Configuration notes:

See my kernel config file for more details.
Here is my new kernel config file for 2.4.16.

At this point I had almost all working, including excellent video, ethernet and sound with rather weak quality (much better with 2.4.16 kernel driver then with 2.2.19). Use Fn+Home and Fn+End to adjust display brightness. Specially nice feature is the lamp for keyboard illumination (Fn+PgUp).

Modem

Unfortunately the internal 3Com modem is unsupported now. See Fred Maciel's page for details. As Fred wrote, "3Com was looking for feedback on whether it should support the modem, see here. If you have interest in using the modem on Linux, write them!"

As a result, I use modem from Xircom pcmcia card.

News! Michael James wrote about his success with internal Lucent winmodem. See the details.

Xircom RealPort card (RBEM56G-100BTX)

HDD performance notes

Links:
IBM page - Linux at A21m
TP A21 - Device Driver File Matrix
Linux on Laptops
Slackware Linux on the IBM Thinkpad A21m - Michael R. James page
IBM Support Site
My vendor (nice site in Russian)
LTModem Drivers for Linux

Comments and questions to Evgeny Rodichev, er@sai.msu.su
Last updated 19.12.2001.
Back to my home page