This is about setting up Slackware Linux on the "Convertible" Laptop-Tablet PC Lenovo X220t. This combines the advantages of a tablet (being able to write with a pen) with the speed of a proper computer (an i5 rather than an ARM processor). I use it both for running lengthy simulations, as well as for editing PDFs with handwriting.
Slackware64 13.37
- installed the full package, using a USB install as this machine has no optical drive (an option that I did not get). The install went smoothly and it recognized most of the hardware
- applied all the patches available at the time
- applied two packages from testing: libdrm-2.4.25 and mesa-7.10.2
Kernel 3.2.6
The kernel that comes in 13.37 has old wacom drivers that don't work with the touch screen of the X220t (which is a USB device). So I upgraded the kernel to 3.2.6.
- I use this config file.
- added the kernel parameter i915.semaphores=1 so as to not hang the video, a problem that has pestered all Intel SandyBridge chips. (You add this in /etc/lilo.conf to the append section)
- added the latest microcode for the Centrino-N 1000 wireless adapter to /lib/firmware (the file iwlwifi-1000-5.ucode in the tarball)
X.org
The X11 system in 13.37 comes with an xf86-driver-wacom package that does not support the X220t touchscreen very well. A more recent version is needed to make the table work fine. I've created a package for version 12.0 using the build scripts included in 13.37. Building parts of X11 are not as straightforward as building simpler packages, so I am providing here the package that I build, feel free to download: xf86-input-wacom-0.12.0-x86_64-2.txz
Usability chart
| device | hardware | status | module/driver | comments |
| ethernet | integrated Intel 82579LM Gigabit | works | e1000e | |
| wifi | integrated Intel Wireless-N 1000 BGN | works | iwlwifi | not tried N mode |
| video | integrated Intel SandyBridge | works | i915 | requires i915.semaphores=1 kernel parameter or else there are frequent GPU hangs |
| sound card | integrated Intel HDA | works | snd-hda-intel | integrated microphone works; external mic and heaphones requires single jack and not yet tested |
| camera | Chicony Electronics 04f2:b217 | works | uvcvideo | works up to 1280x720 |
| hotkeys | keyboard | partial | thinkpad_acpi | volume and brightness work, suspend and others don't |
| Bluetooth | Broadcom 0a5c:217f | untested | bluetooth | led is up, appears to work but need to test |
| fingerprint reader | Upek 147e:2016 | does not work | apparently can work but needs a driver and software | |
| flash card reader | Ricoh device e823 | works | sdhci-pci | only tested SD and SDHC cards |
