Linux on Lenovo ThinkPad T400 (NM52JUK)

This page contains problems I have resolved when installing Linux on this unit. This solutions I have acquired from different sources around the Internet.

Installing Ubuntu 8.10 on a Lenovo ThinkPad T400 (NM52JUK)

Hardware Components	Status under Linux	Notes
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T9400 @ 2.53GHz	Switches automatically between 800MHZ, 1.6GHZ and 2.53GHZ	None
14.1 Inch Widescreen	Works	None
Switching ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 / Intel GMA 4500MHD (Note this unit has two graphics cards, which switch based on load)	Works with some playing around	The Lenovo do not supply any drivers to allow automatic switching of graphics outside of Windows This means it tends to stay on the Intel, to get round this you select a static graphics card in the BIOS. I have mine set to use the Ati.
4GB, DDR3 RAM (PC3-8500)	Works	Please note I paid my supplier to upgrade the original 2GB of ram.
250GB Seagate Momentus 5400.4 SATA 3Gb/s 250-GB Hard Drive (ST9250827AS)	Works	Partitioning was very pain full. I wanted to keep vista on a partition for playing games and running Adobe Flash 8 Pro The default Lenovo setup uses 3 partitions. On for Boot which is 1.50GB, One for windows and one for the restore image. Using the Lenovo software i managed to create a DVD-r version of the image partition, which allowed me to delete the partition. I then used the vista partition re-size option to make the windows partition a lot smaller. However the Windows re-sizer limits the re-size, this was improved by defraging the disk. After this I had to move the partitions as they were placed oddly with gaps on the disk. I did this using the Ubuntu live disk and the supplied "Partition Editor". This took an extremely long time and was left running over night.
Integrated Gigabit Network Card - 82567LM	Works	None
Internal 56k Modem	Detected but untested	None
DVD / CD-RW Combo Optical Drive	Works	Not tried to burn a disk yet
Internal Wireless - PRO/Wireless 5100 AGN	Works	None
Internal Mobile Broadband - Ericsson F3507G	Detected but not working	Their are solutions on Ubuntu Forums that I haven't tried yet. (Note: This is an optional extra I purchased)
Lithium-Ion Battery - High Capacity Unit	Works	The battery dose not seem to last as long in Ubuntu compared to Windows, but Windows feels a lot slower.
HDA Intel Sound Card	Works	None
Touchpad	Works	The virtual scroller works without configuration
Bluethooth 2.0	Works	Connected to Nokia Mobile/cell phone
Webcam	Works	Frame rate is sloppy in "Cheese" if the resolution is set to maximum and often crashes. The video worked excellently in amsn without any issue
Card Reader	Works	Tested using standard SD Card (Note: this did not work on the 8.10 Beta)

Hardware Components

Status under Linux

Notes

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T9400 @ 2.53GHz

Switches automatically between 800MHZ, 1.6GHZ and 2.53GHZ

None

14.1 Inch Widescreen

Works

None

Switching ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 / Intel GMA 4500MHD (Note this unit has two graphics cards, which switch based on load)

Works with some playing around

The Lenovo do not supply any drivers to allow automatic switching of graphics outside of Windows
This means it tends to stay on the Intel, to get round this you select a static graphics card in the BIOS. I have mine set to use the Ati.

4GB, DDR3 RAM (PC3-8500)

Works

Please note I paid my supplier to upgrade the original 2GB of ram.

250GB Seagate Momentus 5400.4 SATA 3Gb/s 250-GB Hard Drive (ST9250827AS)

Works

Partitioning was very pain full. I wanted to keep vista on a partition for playing games and running Adobe Flash 8 Pro

The default Lenovo setup uses 3 partitions. On for Boot which is 1.50GB, One for windows and one for the restore image. Using the Lenovo software i managed to create a DVD-r version of the image partition, which allowed me to delete the partition. I then used the vista partition re-size option to make the windows partition a lot smaller. However the Windows re-sizer limits the re-size, this was improved by defraging the disk. After this I had to move the partitions as they were placed oddly with gaps on the disk. I did this using the Ubuntu live disk and the supplied "Partition Editor". This took an extremely long time and was left running over night.

Integrated Gigabit Network Card - 82567LM

Works

None

Internal 56k Modem

Detected but untested

None

DVD / CD-RW Combo Optical Drive

Works

Not tried to burn a disk yet

Internal Wireless - PRO/Wireless 5100 AGN

Works

None

Internal Mobile Broadband - Ericsson F3507G

Detected but not working

Their are solutions on Ubuntu Forums that I haven't tried yet.
(Note: This is an optional extra I purchased)

Lithium-Ion Battery - High Capacity Unit

Works

The battery dose not seem to last as long in Ubuntu compared to Windows, but Windows feels a lot slower.

HDA Intel Sound Card

Works

None

Touchpad

Works

The virtual scroller works without configuration

Bluethooth 2.0

Works

Connected to Nokia Mobile/cell phone

Webcam

Works

Frame rate is sloppy in "Cheese" if the resolution is set to maximum and often crashes.
The video worked excellently in amsn without any issue

Card Reader

Works

Tested using standard SD Card (Note: this did not work on the 8.10 Beta)

Configuration Files

My xorg.conf

Contact Information

Email me at: ratman99uk (at) gmail.com

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Linux on Laptops

Installing Ubuntu 8.10 on a Lenovo ThinkPad T400 (NM52JUK)