Linux on the X220

[chaose]

archlinux
Just finished installing archlinux on my x220. using xfce4 with Simple Login Manager. I had some problems at the start because the official archlinux iso contained an outdated kernel that did not recognize my NIC or the wireless adapter, but I got it fixed. I still can't get the x220 to boot from a USB flash drive, even though it can boot from USB external cd/dvd drives just fine. (totally unrelated to linux)

Just a heads up to all you people using thinkpad_acpi. It should no longer be used as of kernel 2.6.27, according to thinkwiki. use the standard acpi.
thinkpad-acpi
Using the standard acpi, calling acpi -t I only get 1 temperature sensor: Thermal 0. Mine's at 35C, so not too hot.

[ThinkRob]

Just a heads up to all you people using thinkpad_acpi. It should no longer be used as of kernel 2.6.27, according to thinkwiki. use the standard acpi.
thinkpad-acpi

You misread that.

The warning applies only to the dock driver, not to the thinkpad_acpi module as a whole.

You can (and should!) still use thinkpad_acpi for everything except dock/bay support.

[chaose]

You misread that.

The warning applies only to the dock driver, not to the thinkpad_acpi module as a whole.

You can (and should!) still use thinkpad_acpi for everything except dock/bay support.

you're right...this is what happens when I stay up all night.
at least i got fingerprint-gui to work now

[mil2]

I still can't get the x220 to boot from a USB flash drive, even though it can boot from USB external cd/dvd drives just fine. (totally unrelated to linux)

Did you check the boot order in the BIOS? Thinkpads make a distinction between USB CD/DVD, USB FDD, and USB HDD, and I think the last one (which is what USB keys are considered to be) is normally behind the SATA hard drive in the boot sequence, at least on my x201.

[driekus]

Has anyone with an X220T tried running Linux on it?

[Volker]

I identified where 2W of power are going on my x201 under Linux compared to Windows.

If an external display is plugged in and enabled (xrandr --output VGA1 --auto), the laptop uses extra 2W. The problem is, that it keeps doing that even if the display is disabled (xrandr --output VGA1 --off) and unplugged.

Good job debugging this. There is a closely related possibility, the TV output. Even though there may not be a connector (not sure about x201), the chip has the internal circuitry and its often an issue. Try xrandr --output TV --off. Can be permanently disabled in the xorg.conf

[mil2]

Try xrandr --output TV --off. Can be permanently disabled in the xorg.conf

xrandr doesn't find any TV (or TV1) output, so that can't be it. Anyway, I filed bug #37394. Would be nice if they fixed it soon, though frankly, I'm not overly optimistic. To a casual observer, the pace of fixing some critical bugs on Intel hardware has been glacial (like fullscreen flash with compositing crashing the X server -- reported five months ago and still not fixed).

[nomad9]

Ubuntu Natty is one hell of a buggy release.

I can't get it to work (Classic / no effect) with external monitor and laptop display turned off. Every single time I try to do that through System-> Preferences -> Monitor, the entire system will just freeze up.

Here's the only trick I know to make it happen :
1 - Boot up without external monitor attached.
2 - Once you're logged in, connect external monitor
3 - "xrandr" -- to see all video ports
4 - "xrandr --output VGA1 --primary" -- to make external monitor primary
5 - "xrandr --output LVDS1 --off" -- to turn off laptop display*

* at this step, your external display might go blank. don't panic, just hit ctrl-alt-f2 to switch to terminal, then ctrl-alt-f7 to switch back to X and you'll get your desktop back.

[UNIXgod]

do you guys use the console? how do I setup grub2 to set console font size. killing my eyes.

[lebenlechzer]

@nomad9:

Thanks for the advice. I managed my external monitor settings with a launcher that is doing this:

#!/bin/sh
xrandr --output DP1 --off --output DP2 --off --output DP3 --off --output HDMI1 --off --output HDMI3 --off --output LVDS1 --off --output VGA1 --off --output HDMI2 --primary --mode 1920x1080 --pos 0x0 --rotate normal
unity --replace

I have to start this script whenever my external monitor is plugged in.

Maybe this will help anyone.