Comments on: Installing Linux on the IBM ThinkPad T43

by: jose

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 07:32:39 +0000

i need the main cd for a t43..i lost the cd recovery..could someone help me out and let me know how much will it cost to get one, please?

by: John

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 19:39:35 +0000

I also have come across the same problem … IBM Access doesn’t work
I didn’t even create any recovery disks … but I ensure that my Presdesktop area has still not been erased. If only I can somehow
access that area to recall IBM recovery..

I have install winXP professionall…

Any help/support is greatly appreciated.

(oh,sorry,I’m learning English by the way.)

by: Dev

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 10:46:20 +0000

Mine is a IBM thinkpad R52

I too have come across the same problem …..IBM Access doesn’t work
I didn’t even create any recovery disks….but I think my Presdesktop area has still not been erased. If only I can somehow access that area to recall IBM recovery..

I have installed Suse 9.3…..the worst part is that I get a black screen the moment XWindow starts.

Does anybody have any ideas…..

by: Mark

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 16:40:24 +0000

I have the T43 Thinkpad, its been fine since i got it at Christmas but today it will not start. It does nothing. No lights flashing, no noise!
I’ve unplugged the power, and tryied with the power.
Nothing happens!
Help!!

by: Blilix

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 04:22:51 +0000

I use the IBM thinkpad T43 Model 2687D8U and want to install Linux.

However, I got the problem when I use the Disk Drud program to partition my harddrive for Linux (/Boot,Swap and Root partition) as following:

1. I created my partitions on my hard drive as:
1). C: 15GB Primary
2). D: 15GB Logical
3). E: 15GB Logical
(D and E are on Extended partition)
4). Unallocated Primary
5). IBM_Service Primary

So, I have three Primary Partitions and one Extended Partition. When I use the Disk Drud program to create partition for Linux as described, I can only create one partition for linux ( for example, I create boot partition for Linux first followed by the SWAP partition or vice versa). It tell me that ” can not allocate the requested partition”. So I can not create three partitions for Linux and can not install it.

2. I change my partitions to
1). C: 15GB Primary
2). D: 30GB Logical
3). Unallocated Primary
4). IBM_Service Primary

With this configuration, I can create three partitions for Linux(Boot,SWAP,and Root) on the unallocated primary partition. Why?

Could you give me the solution to fix this problem? I want my hard drive to have 1 primary partition for Windows, 1 primary partition for Linux, 1 primary for IBM_Service and 1 extended partition with 2 logical partitions for D and E. How could I do to create this configuration?

P.S. I use partition magic to create the partition for my hard drive.

by: Josh

Sat, 24 Dec 2005 04:36:28 +0000

I just got my T43 yesterday. Great computer but I can’t get a dual boot set up yet. The first attempt to shrink the NTFS parition with Knoppix/qtparted wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t allow me to shrink the partition more than 1GB. Then I tried using Ubuntu Breezy to automatically resize during install. The Ubuntu installation failed and made the computer unbootable into any OS. So I used my newly burned recovery CDs to recreate the factory settings, and tried again.

The second time, I tried to defragment the drive but now it won’t defragment completely. There is always a small block of files at the end of the drive (green) and a small block in the middle. Windows won’t move them so I can’t resize the partition. I’m going to try downloading some other defragmenting tools (Diskeeper trial?).

Anyone have any ideas why I can’t resize the partition? Before the first attempt I defragmented completely and there were no visible files beyond the beginning of the disk. I’ve never had a problem installing Linux before. The Ubuntu live CD and Knoppix run fine on the machine.

by: Jonathan

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 21:03:24 +0000

Arturo,
If you download the 39t2393.PDF document from the IBM web site it’ll give you all of the part numbers you could possibly imagine for the TP 43. I’m using a t23 with dual drives using the ULTRA bay. I have the internal drive running Fedora Core 4, which is absolutely great, and the ultrabay boots XPPro when I’m forced to for work. I looking at the T43 with the same plan in mind. Using the ultrabay and BIOS boot control means that I can switch between absolutely clean systems rather then rely on dual booting from the same disks. I prefer this way after a whole load of bad experiences a number of years ago when I developed using OS2 WinNT and Win98 (Don’t go there, it’s painful!)
Anyone know if the ultrabay on the t43 is the same as the t23? - would save me buying a new caddy!

Jonathan
(to get the ntfs drive - mount -t ntfs /dev/hdc1 /{mountpoint}

but you need the ntfs entry in filesystems and kernel module for fedora
google ‘mount ntfs’ and you’ll find loads of entries

by: Chris

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 04:12:28 +0000

I’m still trying to figure out how to get commercial DVD support for my T43. The hdparm doesn’t work, but I would think that it would still play commercial dvd’s slowly- with libdvdcss installed. This doesn’t seem to work though. Although I think it gets the keys it doesn’t play the dvd’s. i’ve tried two. I got the intro on one dvd (probably not encrypted) to play just now, but it pops up the encryption meessage after that. I’m lost as to what the problem is.

by: Arturo

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 13:44:35 +0000

Kim,

I haven’t been able to locate any of those covers.
Can you give the IBM part number,
or, if not IBM, the manufacturer and part number?

Thanks .. Arturo

by: Arturo

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 09:36:41 +0000

Kim Says:

>>>
A point to remember is, that a new harddrive does not usually come with the protective cover like the Thinkpad harddrive has. But a few years ago I ordered 5 of them from my IBM reseller and now I just switch them over to a new drive when I need to.