2010-01-30

Thinkpad X40 and openSUSE 11.2

Note to self... and anyone interested... Installing openSUSE 11.2 in a IBM thinkpad X40:
- edit partitions yourself (don't trust a computer to do a man's job), create primary partition, don't format as ext4 use ext3 instead(see update notes below), mount root; create primary partition, format as swap - size must be at least half the memory (just used for hibernating);
- install the languages you want (for OpenOffice dictionaries);
- disable firewall (avoids frustration when playing with toys);
- install development in C and KDE;
- remove Games (although some bastards are hard to kill);
- remove AppArmor, Beagle (optional, but if I don't know what they do, I don' t want them);
- install minicom (to play with serial toys);
- install kate (resonable window editor);
- install zip and other utils;
let it install for an good hour...
let it auto-update... let it fail...reboot...
let it auto-update again... now everything looks green... (the SUSE updater icon);
search for "opensuse 11.2 restricted formats", don't read any warnings and go directly to the one-click install... click yes, accept import keys and "deny any wrong doing" regarding the dvd-read library.
When finished reboot and have some food/coffee. Your system is ready to work... but for curious minds continue....
Search "opensuse 11.2 science" click on opensuse_11.2 and copy the URL, open YAST and add a repository using the URL that you cutted, add and import key...
In YAST go to software management and search for the following:
- gEDA (install all programs);pcb (install pcb); gerbv; ngspice, gspiceui, gwave2;
- AVR (install binutils,gcc, libc, avrdude);
Search "OpenOffice updates stable", install repository as above.
Open Yast and then Software Management, select All in "package groups", in the programs window select "all in this list -> update if newer version is available"
That's it, your laptop is a electronics design workstation and avr cross development computer.
Some things of opensuse need some extra work like SUSPEND and HIBERNATE, I also didn't managed to get dual head working "out of the box" and I'm reluctant to change the Xorg.conf... something I did when I had my first thinkpad a second-hand 340...

And all this because I had a Sony reader for a week and then decided to return it (takes to long to render some PDFs with pictures, and sometimes it hangs), wanting to un-install calibre... I found out there is no such thing... damn!
Update: my old backup software failed first to copy the ext4 partition and then failed to install grub for booting. After battling with it for some time I decided to do a fresh install with ext3. It is a pain in the butt! I hate myself for it, I should have known better, you should never be an early adopter!

1 comment:

moresok said...

I tried to install on X40 and it was successful.
Nice to meet you

from Kim