Translation(s): none

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.

Models Covered
Lenovo Thinkpad x230

Sub-models options:

Intel Core i5 3360M
12.5" 1366x768 matte IPS WXGA display or Non-IPS display
16GB PCIe SSD "Cache Drive" or PCIe WLAN card
Optional Integrated fingerprint reader
320G HDD or 180GB SSD $/!\$
4G RAM or higher

Overall Status

Core Components
Boot Standard Kernel:
LAN network card:
Detect hard drives:
Extra Features
CPU Frequency Scaling
Hibernation	[?]
Sleep / Suspend
Xorg
- OpenGL
- Resize-and-Rotate(randr)
Switch to External Screen
Mini DisplayPort++
Built-in SDHC reader:
Built-in fingerprint reader:	[-]
Audio	$/!\$
- Internal Speakers
- Internal Microphone
- Headphone Jack
- Headset Microphone	$/!\$
Mouse
- Built-in (Trackpoint)
- Built-in (Touchpad)
Modem	[-]
Wireless/Wifi
Keyboard's Hotkeys	$/!\$

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

Important Note

I used the Debian Installer 7.0 Beta4 release, which works well out-of-the-box with UEFI systems.
To boot the UEFI installer correctly, configure BIOS to UEFI-Only mode with no CFM support.
Wireless requires non-free firmware-iwlwifi, available in non-free section of standard Debian repository. After install, works fine. TODO: document how to use during install.
The 180 GB SSD disk included in some models do not handle sustained writes, causing the entire disk to lock up and a power cycle is needed to get it back online. See 691427 for details. When installing with encrypted LVM the disk lock up while random data is written to the encrypted partition.

Configuration

Intermittent system freeze / Mini DisplayPort++

With the 3.2 kernel currently in wheezy, the system occasionally freezes completely. It does so very quickly if you attempt to drive a 30" Dual-DVI external monitor through the Mini DisplayPort++. There are reports that this is due to the Intel Graphics 4000 driver which is improved in Kernel 3.4.

Confirmed: after upgrading to jessie (testing), using kernels 3.10 and later 3.11, I used the Mini DisplayPort++ to drive a Dual-DVI external monitor every day for months. This bug is likely fixable in wheezy by adding the wheezy-backports repo and sudo aptitude installing linux-image-3.11-0.bpo.2-amd64 or whichever is most recent.

Mouse

Touchpad is "jerky," this bug report contains a workaround that mostly alleviates the problem: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-input-synaptics/+bug/1042069

Create a file named something like /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-thinkpad-x220-touchpad.conf with the following content:

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "touchpad"
        MatchProduct "SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad"
        Driver "synaptics"
        # fix touchpad resolution
        Option "VertResolution" "100"
        Option "HorizResolution" "65"
        # disable synaptics driver pointer acceleration
        Option "MinSpeed" "1"
        Option "MaxSpeed" "1"
        # tweak the X-server pointer acceleration
        Option "AccelerationProfile" "2"
        Option "AdaptiveDeceleration" "16"
        Option "ConstantDeceleration" "16"
        Option "VelocityScale" "32"
EndSection

WiFi

Works fine after installing firmware-iwlwifi, available in non-free section of standard Debian repository.

Keyboard Hotkeys

Works out of the box: mute, mute indicator LED, volume +/-, launcher, lock screen, sleep, wireless toggle, webcam, display, prev, play/pause, next, display brightness up/down, keyboard backlight, ThinkLight.

Keyboard backlight/ThinkLight control hardware directly, and seem to be ignored by Gnome.

Not functional: mic mute, mic mute LED.

System Summary

lspci

lspci -nn

00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 3rd Gen Core processor DRAM Controller [8086:0154] (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller [8086:0166] (rev 09)
00:14.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family USB xHCI Host Controller [8086:1e31] (rev 04)
00:16.0 Communication controller [0780]: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 [8086:1e3a] (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 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 [8086:1e2d] (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller [8086:1e20] (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 [8086:1e10] (rev c4)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 2 [8086:1e12] (rev c4)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 3 [8086:1e14] (rev c4)
00:1d.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 [8086:1e26] (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation QM77 Express Chipset LPC Controller [8086:1e55] (rev 04)
00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation 7 Series Chipset Family 6-port SATA Controller [AHCI mode] [8086:1e03] (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller [8086:1e22] (rev 04)
02:00.0 System peripheral [0880]: Ricoh Co Ltd PCIe SDXC/MMC Host Controller [1180:e823] (rev 07)
03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation Centrino Wireless-N 2200 [8086:0891] (rev c4)

lsusb

lsusb -v | grep -E '\<(Bus|iProduct|bDeviceClass|bDeviceProtocol)' 2>/dev/null

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
  bDeviceClass            9 Hub
  bDeviceProtocol         1 Single TT
  iProduct                2 xHCI Host Controller
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
  bDeviceClass            9 Hub
  bDeviceProtocol         3 
  iProduct                2 xHCI Host Controller
Bus 003 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 004 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 003 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 004 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 003 Device 003: ID 04f2:b2ea Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd 
  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 003 Device 004: ID 0a5c:21e6 Broadcom Corp. 
  bDeviceClass          255 Vendor Specific Class
  bDeviceProtocol         1 
  iProduct                2 BCM20702A0

USB Host controllers entries (without OHCI, UHCI, EHCI) are removed too.

Resources

Attachments

Useful Links

Kernel developer Theodore Ts'o owns a ThinkPad x230. Always a good sign...

ThinkPad x230 page on the ThinkWiki

Credits

CategoryLaptopComputer

InstallingDebianOnThinkpadX230wheezy