# any feedback as to how gentoo installs & runs on ibm X61 ?

## dimaash

Hi everyone, 

i am planning on buying a laptop. I am looking at ibm X series. X61 looks very interesting, however i would like to know

how well the current kernel recognizes the hardware under the hood of X61. 

I heard the are no official drivers for GMA (Intel Graphics Media Accelerator) X3100 GPUs yet. How well is wireless and bluetooth

are supported ?

I would appreciate if some1 could give me a feedback.

Thx.

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## Voltago

This is a good address to get started for linux on laptops in general:

http://tuxmobil.org/ibm.html

and there is a forum for linux on thinkpads:

http://thinkwiki.org/

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## mattst88

I've got an X61 with Gentoo.

Works great. A few notes:

- Must use ALSA newer than 1.0.15 for Intel HDA sound

- frame buffer compression in xf86-video-i810 is broken for 965 (the chipset in the x61)

- I haven't figured out how to make the volume buttons work in gnome (they change microphone volume instead of PCM)

- a bug exists that causes the backlight to not turn on after resuming from suspend (works for hibernation)

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## anz

 *Quote:*   

>  a bug exists that causes the backlight to not turn on after resuming from suspend (works for hibernation) a bug exists that causes the backlight to not turn on after resuming from suspend (works for hibernation)

 

I 've got it working after appending 

```
acpi_sleep=s3_biosacpi_sleep=s3_bios
```

at the "kernel line" in /boot/grub/grub.conf, here a part of mine:

```
kernel /kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.23-tuxonice-r6 ... resume=swap:<your swap device> acpi_sleep=s3_bios
```

 *Quote:*   

> I haven't figured out how to make the volume buttons work in gnome (they change microphone volume instead of PCM)

 

I had the same troubles with kde (head phones output instead of PCM as master channel - I could only mute/unmute). "Right Mouse klick" on kmix symbol, choosing "Select Master Channel" and choosing "PCM" works in kde.

I got wireless working only with the iwlwifi (its still masked) on kernel version 3-tuxonice-r6. The package is masked. But with 2.6.24 iwlwifi is integrated into the kernel - so with 2.6.24 there is no need to emerge it anymore. Do not forget to emerge iwl4965-ucode to get the firmware.

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## anz

When using the Fn keys for brightness, I can only change the values but without any affect to the brightness.

But using xbindkeys and xbacklight it works:

needed ebuilds:

   x11-apps/xbacklight

   x11-misc/xbindkeys

if not exists create a file named .xbindkeysrc in your home directory.

Append the key codes and what-to-do in that file:

```
#Fn+Pos1 Bildschirm heller

"xbacklight +15"

   m:0x0 + c:212

#Fn+Ende Bildschirm duenkler

"xbacklight -15"

   m:0x0 + c:101
```

Make a start script to ensure, the keycodes will work:

I called it ~/.kde/Autostart/start_xbindkeys.sh

```
#! /bin/bash

xbindkeys
```

Make the script executable:

```
chmod +x ~/.kde/Autostart/start_xbindkeys.sh
```

stop kde, logout, login and try it

Here my complete .xbindkeysrc:

```
#Fn+F2 Bildschirm sperren

"/usr/kde/3.5/bin/kdesktop_lock --forcelock"

   m:0x0 + c:146

#Fn+F4 Suspend to RAM

"sudo /usr/sbin/hibernate-ram"

   m:0x0 + c:223

#Fn+F12

"sudo /usr/sbin/hibernate"

   m:0x0 + c:165

#Fn+Pos1 Bildschirm heller

"xbacklight +15"

   m:0x0 + c:212

#Fn+Ende Bildschirm duenkler

"xbacklight -15"

   m:0x0 + c:101
```

May be this also work on your x61 ...

(hibernating and suspend works with kernel 2.6.23-tuxonice-r6 ... in most cases ...)

Update - kernel 2.6.24:

changing brightness with kernel 2.6.24 and the key combination Fn+Pos1 and Fn+Ende seems not to work - using other keys might be a solution ...

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## mattst88

 *|mattst88| wrote:*   

> - frame buffer compression in xf86-video-i810 is broken for 965 (the chipset in the x61)

 

Correction. Frame buffer compression is broken when using EXA. Using XAA with FBC works fine.

 *mattst88 wrote:*   

> - I haven't figured out how to make the volume buttons work in gnome (they change microphone volume instead of PCM)

 

Found it:

In gnome, go to System -> Preferences -> Sound. Under Default Mixer Tracks, click PCM.

Also, the Mute button is not recognized. To fix it, add this to your boot parameters.

```
acpi_osi=Linux
```

I can't seem to get FN+Home/FN+End to change the brightness of the screen though. I read on the thinkpad-acpi mailing lists that it's some conflict with video.ko. I'll report back if I find anything out.

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