Quick notes about intalling Debian Buster on Thinkpad L13 Gen 2

Graphical system

The video card does not work out of box with Debian buster. You should install newer Linux kernel from backports to run graphical mode:

$ sudo -i
# echo deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ buster-backports main > /etc/apt/sources.list
# apt update
# apt install -t buster-backports linux-image-amd64

This should give something like linux-image-5.10.0-0.bpo.8-amd64 and it should work.

WiFi

The WiFi requires the firmware-iwlwifi package. The version from Debian buster is not new enough. You can try the version from backports, or get the newest firmware set from upstream git:

$ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git
$ sudo cp linux-firmware/iwlwifi-* /lib/firmware/

Swaping PrtSc and Insert keys

On L13 Insert key is available only via Fn+End combination, that is very uncomfortable for Linux user. But on Linux you can remap any key you want. The only key that is not in active use is ?PrtSc key, so we will swap it with Insert.

You can read full instruction on key remapping https://ictsolved.github.io/remap-key-in-linux/ or follow short version below:

  1. Make a backup of /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc:

    sudo cp /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc.bak
  2. In /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc replace

          symbols[Group1]= [ Print, Sys_Req ]

    string with

            symbols[Group1]= [ Insert, Sys_Req ] 

    and

        key  <INS> {      [  Insert               ]       };

    with

        key  <INS> {        [  Print                ]       };
  3. Clear xkb cache in /var/lib/xkb/ (delete all files but README.compiled)

  4. Reboot the system (or reload x-server)

Now your ?PrtSc key will work as Insert, and Fn+End will work as ?PrtSc