DebianOn is an effort to document how to install, configure and use Debian on some specific hardware. Therefore potential buyers would know if that hardware is supported and owners would know how get the best out of that hardware.

The purpose is not to duplicate the Debian Official Documentation, but to document how to install Debian on some specific hardware.

If you need help to get Debian running on your hardware, please have a look at our user support channels where you may find specific channels (mailing list, IRC channel) dedicated to certain types of hardware.

Translation(s): none

Contents

  1. Overall Status
  2. Configuration
    1. Graphics
    2. Power Management
    3. WiFi
  3. System Summary
    1. lspci
    2. lsusb
  4. Resources
    1. Attachments
    2. Useful Links

Models covered
Lenovo ThinkPad T420

Overall Status

Core Components

[ATTACH]

Boot Standard Kernel:

{OK}

LAN network card (Generic Ethernet):

{OK}

Detect CD/DVD (Generic DVD+RW) :

{OK}

Sound:

{OK}

Detect hard drives:

{OK}

Extra Features

CPU Frequency Scaling

{OK}

Hibernation

[?]

Sleep / Suspend

{OK}

Xorg

{OK}

- OpenGL

{OK}

- Resize-and-Rotate(randr)

{OK}

Switch to External Screen

{OK}

Mouse

- Built-in (Trackpoint)

{OK}

- Built-in (Touchpad)

{OK}

Bluetooth

[?]

Webcam

{OK}

Wireless/Wifi

X-(

Keyboard's Hotkeys

{OK}

Modem

[?]

Express card reader

[?]

SD card reader

[?]

External dock

{OK}

Legend :
{OK} = OK ; {X} Unsupported(No Driver) ; /!\ = Error (Couldn't get it working); [?] Unknown, Not Test ; [-] Not-applicable
{i} = Configuration Required; X-( = Only works with a non-free driver and or firmware

Configuration

Graphics

Xorg works out of the box, but you may want to install these additional packages to get full GPU acceleration:

To make graphical boot work (for example using plymouth-drm), enable modesetting in /etc/initramfs/modules: 

i915 modeset=1

and then run update-initramfs -u.

Power Management

Suspend-to-RAM works out of the box.

To prevent the laptop from suspending when the lid is closed, set the following in /etc/systemd/logind.conf: 

HandleLidSwitch=lock

Putting the following kernel module options in /etc/modprobe.d/i915.conf has been suggested to reduce the power consumption of the GPU at rest: 

options i915 i915_enable_rc6=7 i915_enable_fbc=1 lvds_downclock=1

laptop-mode-tools

If you use laptop-mode-tools, you will need the following in /etc/laptop-mode/conf.d/lcd-brightness.conf to configure the brightness of the screen: 

BATT_BRIGHTNESS_COMMAND="echo 3000"
LM_AC_BRIGHTNESS_COMMAND="cat /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/max_brightness"
NOLM_AC_BRIGHTNESS_COMMAND="cat /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/max_brightness"
BRIGHTNESS_OUTPUT="/sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness"

and the following in /etc/laptop-mode/conf.d/cpufreq.conf to use the correct CPU governors: 

BATT_CPU_GOVERNOR=powersave
LM_AC_CPU_GOVERNOR=performance
NOLM_AC_CPU_GOVERNOR=performance

WiFi

Wireless did not work out-of-the box, but required installation of the non-free Debian package firmware-iwlwifi.

System Summary

lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller [8086:0104] (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0126] (rev 09)
00:16.0 Communication controller [0780]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 [8086:1c3a] (rev 04)
00:16.3 Serial controller [0700]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family KT Controller [8086:1c3d] (rev 04)
00:19.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Intel Corporation 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection [8086:1502] (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 [8086:1c2d] (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller [8086:1c20] (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 [8086:1c10] (rev b4)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 2 [8086:1c12] (rev b4)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 5 [8086:1c18] (rev b4)
00:1d.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 [8086:1c26] (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation QM67 Express Chipset Family LPC Controller [8086:1c4f] (rev 04)
00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family 6 port SATA AHCI Controller [8086:1c03] (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller [8086:1c22] (rev 04)
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 [8086:4238] (rev 3e)
0d:00.0 System peripheral [0880]: Ricoh Co Ltd MMC/SD Host Controller [1180:e822] (rev 08)

lsusb

Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
  bDeviceClass            9 Hub
  bDeviceProtocol         1 Single TT
  iProduct                0 
  bDeviceClass            9 Hub
  bDeviceProtocol         0 Full speed (or root) hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
  bDeviceClass            9 Hub
  bDeviceProtocol         0 Full speed (or root) hub
  iProduct                2 EHCI Host Controller
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 04f2:b221 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd integrated camera
  bDeviceClass          239 Miscellaneous Device
  bDeviceProtocol         1 Interface Association
  iProduct                2 Integrated Camera
      (Bus Powered)
  bDeviceClass          239 Miscellaneous Device
  bDeviceProtocol         1 Interface Association
  (Bus Powered)
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
  bDeviceClass            9 Hub
  bDeviceProtocol         1 Single TT
  iProduct                0 
  bDeviceClass            9 Hub
  bDeviceProtocol         0 Full speed (or root) hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
  bDeviceClass            9 Hub
  bDeviceProtocol         0 Full speed (or root) hub
  iProduct                2 EHCI Host Controller

Resources

Attachments

Some configuration files and sample outputs.

  • [get | view] (2014-06-09 12:47:30, 10.4 KB) [[attachment:dmidecode.Jessie_Thinkpad_T420.txt]]
  • [get | view] (2014-06-09 12:48:21, 5.2 KB) [[attachment:lsmod.Jessie_Thinkpad_T420.txt]]
  • [get | view] (2014-06-09 12:41:40, 7.8 KB) [[attachment:lspci.Jessie_Thinkpad_T420.txt]]
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