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Debian GNU/Linux on an IBM ThinkPad 600E (26454TJ)

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Contents

Specs
Links
Memory
PCMCIA
Installing Sarge 3.1
Packges
  • Japanese langauge settings
  • LaTeX
  • emacs
    • Sound
    Problems
    Instaling Woody 3.0r2
    Partitions

    I bought an IBM ThinkPad 600E (2645-4TJ) for US$ 250 second-hand to take with me for fieldwork trips. I installed LaTeX, Emacs and Transcriber to the machine on Debian/GNU Linux to organize raw materials in the field. Unfortunately, this machine is notorious for sound settings. I still haven't workded out the problems.

    Specs

    Links:

    Memory

    Current total memory on my 600e is 192MB. As far as LaTeX and Emacs with a bit of fun with KsCD player go, the memory is enough to work. But if you would run openoffice.org on a 600e, you will feel confortable with more memories.
    I bought 144pin PC100 CL2 128MB (GH-SDH128 BULK SO DIMM) at Sparks2000. This bulk memory works fine with the computer. If you would like to buy bulk memories for your 600e, try not to buy 144pin So DIMM PC100 16x16 (16x16 is 256Mbit chip) type which you may find the cheapest bulk memories around. Unfortunately, this one may not work with 600e, which requires 128Mbit chip set.

    PCMCIA

    I bought a 3com 10/100 LAN PC CARD Model 3CCFE574BT for US$9 second-hand. You can still find second-hand 3CCFE574BTs on internet auctions sites. The card works fine with my 600e. Need to install Yenta_socket first. then 3c574_cs. The other way around doesn't work.
    The following pcmcia stuff is out-of-date for my Debian/GNU Linux on 600e.

    Links # emacs /etc/pcmcia/config.opts [add the following lines. This one did't work for me.] # /etc/init.d/pcmcia restart

    Installing Sarge 3.1

    Debian-Installer pre-rc2 works fine to install Sarge kernel 2.6.8-1 to the 600E. But, I could only install the 2.6.8-1 after installing 2.4.27. I was successful only once to install the 2.6.8-1 without installing the 2.4.27 first. I haven't detected the cause. You need to add the option acpi=off when do #boot: linux26, otherwise you will have bootstrap problems and the installation fails.

    # apt-get install sudo
    # apt-get install emacs21

    Security

    # emacs /etc/ssh/sshd_config # /etc/init.d/ssh restart [restart the ssh server.]

    Also need to do this.

    Packages

    This section is basically for those who use emacs and LaTeX on Kde in Japanese environments on Debian. You need to adjust language locales etc for your languages to use. I don't need file menu and help to be displayed in Japanese as long as I can read and type Japanese when using packages.

    # cd /etc/apt
    # mv sources.list sources.list.old

    Create a new /etc/apt/sources.list like this.

    # apt-get update
    # apt-get install kernel-image-2.6.8-1-386
    # apt-get install x-window-system
    # apt-get install kde
    # apt-get install ncftp ntpdate mozilla-browser mozilla-psm mozilla-firefox openoffice.org oooqs-kde nkf tbp modconf Setting up the Japanese language locales: Configuring LaTeX: Configuring emacs:

    Sound

    My 600e has a cs4232 sound card, but, when I tried to install the module by modconf, the machine doesn' find the card and I used Sound Blaster Pro as shown in the section Sound Blaster Pro. It seems that I have at lease found out how to install CS4232, but there still are problems with sound. I am nearly giving up working on this.....

    I looked at the following pages to work on the CS4232 problem on the 600E. How to set CS4232 on the 600e
    # emacs /etc/modutils/audio [create a file 'audio' and add the following lines in it.]

    alias char-major-14 cs4232
    options cs4232 io=0x530 irq=5 dma=1 dma2=0 (mpuio=0x330 mpuirq=9)

     # modconf [you can install cs4232 after creating the file above. The followings need to be installed for cs4232 to work.] After setting the CS4232 shown above, open KMixer on Kde, the mixer will indicate that your sound module is now CS4232.

    Don't forget to do this so you can use KMix and KsCD player as a non-root user.

    Problems
    Although CS4232 is installed, I have sound skipping problem on kaffeine and transcriber.

    Sound Blaster Pro
    I used to use Sound Blaster Pro for sound card modules on my 600E. As far as playing music CDs with XMMS and KDE CD player go, it works fine. But, the setting doesn't work for playing mpeg files and streaming media with Kaffeine and XMMS. The setting also caused problems to use transcriber. As shown in the previous seciton, I use CS4232 now and don't use the following settings anymore.

    There used to be sound problems with 600e, but the problems seem to be fixed if you use ALSA.

    #apt-get install alsa-base alsa-utils

    My 600e (2645-4TJ) is compatible with Sound Blaster Pro, but you can't fully rely on the modules and need to install Yamaha related ones as well. After installintg the Sound Blaster Pro and Yamaha related modules, the sound worked fine on the KDE 3.2. Transcriber related problems:
    I have a problem using Transcriber on my ThinkPad 600E. See here.

    Installing Woody 3.0r2

    Sections that follow are prdecures to install Woody 3.0r2 (kernel 2.4) with the CD-ROMs. I used to have to take three steps to install Sarge as shows below, but I don't have to follow those procedures anymore since Debian-Installer pre-rc2 works to install the linux (kernel 2.4). I leave this sections for reference purposes.

    Installing Woddy 3.0r2 with the CD-ROM [Follow the CD's navigation]
    # modconf [The following modules should be installed.] # apt-get install sudo
    # visudo [non-root user name] ALL=(ALL) ALL

    Upgrading to Sarge

    do the followings to install kernel-image-2.4.26-1-686.

    # apt-get install emacs21

    # emacs /etc/lilo.conf

    image=/vmlinuz
    label=Linux
    read-only
    initrd=/initrd.img [add this line.]
    # resticted
    # alias=1

    # emacs /etc/kernel-img.conf [create a new file.] Installing kernel-image-2.4.26-1-686

    # emacs /etc/apt/sources.list [replace stable with testing except for the security sourse.]
    # apt-get update
    # apt-get install kernel-image-2.4.26-1-686 kernel-pcmcia-modlues-2.4.26-1-686
    # apt-get install x-window-system Packages

    Click here to install packages.

    For the Japanese language settings, do this and this.

    Upgrading to Sid

    # emacs /etc/apt/sources.list [replace testing with unstable except for the security sourse.]
    # apt-get update
    # apt-get upgrade
    # apt-get install acroread

    Security

    Click here.

    Partitions

    Current partitions for my ThinkPad 600E (192MB)
    Name Flags Part Type FS type Label Size (MB)
    1 Boot Primary Linux etx3 /boot 19
    2
    		Primary Linux etx3 / 797
    3
    		Primary Linux ext3 /home 1000
    5
    		Logical Linux ext3 /usr 2500
    6
    		Logical Linux ext3 /var 400.0
    7
    		Logical Linux swap
    		394.8
    I felt that the size of the /home of the former partitioning is still small. The size changed from 516 MB to 1 G. The file system is also changed from etx2 to etx3.

    Update history:

    Former partitions for my ThinkPad 600E (192MB)
    Name Flags Part Type FS type Label Size (MB)
    1 Boot Primary Linux etx2 /boot 15
    2
    		Primary Linux etx2 / 700
    3
    		Primary Linux ext2 /usr 2900
    5
    		Logical Linux etx2 /home 516
    6
    		Logical Linux ext2 /var 344
    7
    		Logical Linux swap
    		397.34


    Partitions for my ThinkPad 600E (192MB)
    Name Flags Part Type FS type Label Size (MB)
    1 Boot Primary Linux etx2 / 549.65
    2
    		Primary Linux ext2 /usr 3437.20
    3
    		Primary Linux etx2 /home 549.65
    5
    		Logical Linux ext2 /var 201.28
    6
    		Logical Linux swap
    		387.34


    Partitions for my ThinkPad 600E (64MB, woody)
    Name Flags Part Type FS type Label Size (MB)
    1 Boot Primary Linux ext2 /boot 30.97
    2
    		Primary Linux etx2 / 549.65
    3
    		Primary Linux ext2 /usr 3352.04
    5
    		Logical Linux etx2 /home 503.20
    6
    		Logical Linux ext2 /var 503.20
    7
    		Logical Linux ext2 /tmp 54.20
    8
    		Logical Linux swap
    		131.61


    Partitions for my ThinkPad 600E (192MB, 7mb for /boot is very bad.)
    Name Flags Part Type FS type Label Size (MB)
    1 Boot Primary Linux ext2 /boot 7
    2
    		Primary Linux etx2 / 549.65
    3
    		Primary Linux ext2 /usr 3437.20
    5
    		Logical Linux etx2 /home 549.65
    6
    		Logical Linux ext2 /var 201.28
    7
    		Logical Linux swap
    		379.34


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