How to install Debian Jessie on a ThinkPad W510

I got a Lenovo ThinkPad W510 from 2010 with empty HDD. Here I describe how I got Debian GNU/Linux (stable) to run on it. Since my last report from June 2014 about installing Debian Wheezy some things turned for the better.

Get files

download Debian Netinst
download Universal USB Installer aka UUI
run UUI and put the Debian ISO on an USB flash memory
network hardware is well recognized but firmware file iwlwifi-6000-4.ucode is missing; I found firmware-iwlwifi_0.43_all.deb at packages.debian.org and put it on the USB flash memory (folder firmware), too.

Install Debian

boot W510 with USB flash memory
choose install
… get coffee… (and press ENTER a few times)

After first boot

SSH

Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config from PermitRootLogin yes to PermitRootLogin no

Fingerprint sensor

ThinkWIKI:

sudo apt-get install -y libpam-fprintd && fprintd-enroll

TrackPoint

ThinkWIKI: Middle key for scrolling

sudo apt-get install xinput
gedit ~/.xsessionrc

 # START TrackPoint
 # http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/How_to_configure_the_TrackPoint
 # try:  xinput list-props "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint"
 # To enable vertical scrolling
 xinput set-prop "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint" "Evdev Wheel Emulation" 1
 xinput set-prop "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint" "Evdev Wheel Emulation Button" 2
 xinput set-prop "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint" "Evdev Wheel Emulation Timeout" 200
 # To enable horizontal scrolling in addition to vertical scrolling
 xinput set-prop "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint" "Evdev Wheel Emulation Axes" 6 7 4 5
 #To enable middle button emulation (using left- and right-click simultaneously)
 #xinput set-prop "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint" "Evdev Middle Button Emulation" 1
 #xinput set-prop "TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint" "Evdev Middle Button Timeout" 50
 # END TrackPoint

Graphics driver

sudo apt-get install -y nvidia-driver nvidia-xconfig
sudo nvidia-xconfig
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Add to Section "Device"

 # Disables Nvidia logo
 Option         "NoLogo" "true"
 # Fix Large fonts
 Option          "DPI" "96 x 96"
 # Power saving setting for Nvidia drivers
 Option         "OnDemandVBlankInterrupts" "1"
 # Enables overclocking gui
 Option         "Coolbits" "1"
 # Enable brightness keys
 Option         "RegistryDwords" "EnableBrightnessControl=1"

Reboot:

sudo shutdown -r now

Change the boot console’s resolution from 600x480 (I think) (resulting in huge letters and less information per screen) to something nicer. But native screen resolution 1920x1080 does not work:

Edit /etc/default/grub
from #GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
to GRUB_GFXMODE=1280x800

Edit /etc/grub.d/00_header
from set gfxmode=${GRUB_GFXMODE}
to set gfxmode=${GRUB_GFXMODE}
set gfxpayload=keep

Fix this with

sudo update-grub

WWAN and GPS

This all does not really work well… :-(

Install Qualcomm Gobi 2000 like described at ThinWiki:

Get Windows driver from Lenovo and install in Windows VM. Then copy files from Windows VM to host:

md5sum *
691a4da480076e239e8bfcfcd817d0de  amss.mbn
661249ddae2b63e2eaac93594a21e409  apps.mbn
cbae9a769f459b77910c2bbdf8a8c464  UQCN.mbn

sudo mkdir -p /lib/firmware/gobi
sudo cp *.mbn /lib/firmware/gobi/
sudo apt-get install gobi-loader
sudo shutdown -r now

PIN query

sudo adduser $(whoami) dialout
exec su -l $USER
echo "\$GPS_START" > /dev/ttyUSB2
gpscat /dev/ttyUSB2

Edit /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/org.freedesktop.ModemManager1.policy:

Change auth_self_keep in

  <action id="org.freedesktop.ModemManager1.Device.Control">
    <description>Unlock and control a mobile broadband device</description>
    <description xml:lang="de">Ein mobiles Breitbandgerät entsperren und steuern</description>
    <description xml:lang="uk">Розблокувати пристрій мобільної широкосмугової мережі і керувати ним</description>
    <message>System policy prevents unlocking or controlling the mobile broadband device.</message>
    <message xml:lang="de">Die Systemrichtlinien verhindern das Entsperren oder Steuern des mobilen Breitbandgerätes.</message>
    <message xml:lang="uk">Правила системи забороняють розблокування і керування пристроями широкосмугових мобільних мереж.</message>
    <defaults>
      <allow_inactive>no</allow_inactive>
      <allow_active>auth_self_keep</allow_active>
    </defaults>
  </action>

to yes:

  <action id="org.freedesktop.ModemManager1.Device.Control">
    <description>Unlock and control a mobile broadband device</description>
    <description xml:lang="de">Ein mobiles Breitbandgerät entsperren und steuern</description>
    <description xml:lang="uk">Розблокувати пристрій мобільної широкосмугової мережі і керувати ним</description>
    <message>System policy prevents unlocking or controlling the mobile broadband device.</message>
    <message xml:lang="de">Die Systemrichtlinien verhindern das Entsperren oder Steuern des mobilen Breitbandgerätes.</message>
    <message xml:lang="uk">Правила системи забороняють розблокування і керування пристроями широкосмугових мобільних мереж.</message>
    <defaults>
      <allow_inactive>no</allow_inactive>
      <allow_active>yes</allow_active>
    </defaults>
  </action>

Troubleshooting lost WWAN:

sudo rm /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/1\&1\ Mobile\ Broadband && sudo service network-manager restart

…and click through creating new conection.

Second SSD

… in a Serial Ultrabay Enhanced second Hard Disk Caddy

What is the UUID of the SDD?

sudo blkid

=> /dev/sdb1: UUID="12345678-9abc-def0-1234-56789abcdef0" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="abc123de-f0"

Create mount point

sudo mkdir /media/ultrabay

Automatic mount at boot

sudo gedit /etc/fstab

    # SSD in UltraBay
    UUID=12345678-9abc-def0-1234-56789abcdef0    /media/ultrabay    ext4    defaults    0    2

sudo mount -a

More about SSDs

I have two SSDs. Mount option noatime or relatime is recommended. Nothing to care about as this is default:

$ cat /proc/mounts | grep /sd
/dev/sda1 / ext4 rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/sdb1 /media/ultrabay ext4 rw,relatime,data=ordered 0 0

Weekly trim is recommended (e. g. c’t 3/2016 p. 97). Do we already have it enabled?

$ systemctl status fstrim.timer
● fstrim.timer
   Loaded: not-found (Reason: No such file or directory)
   Active: inactive (dead)

Nope. Can we enable it?

$ sudo systemctl enable fstrim.timer
Failed to execute operation: No such file or directory

Nope but wiki.debian.net helps:

$ sudo cp /usr/share/doc/util-linux/examples/fstrim.{service,timer} /etc/systemd/system
$ sudo systemctl enable fstrim.timer
Created symlink from /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/fstrim.timer to /etc/systemd/system/fstrim.timer.
$ systemctl status fstrim.timer
● fstrim.timer - Discard unused blocks once a week
   Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/fstrim.timer; enabled)
   Active: inactive (dead)
     Docs: man:fstrim

SanDisc SDXC card

SDXC

Trying to mount a SDXC card (SanDisk Ultra 128GB) results in an error message mentioning the unknown filesystem type ‘exfat’:

Error mounting /dev/mmcblk0p1 at /media/xxx/6661-6131: Command-line `mount -t "exfat" -o "uhelper=udisks2,nodev,nosuid,uid=1000,gid=1000,iocharset=utf8,namecase=0,errors=remount-ro,umask=0077" "/dev/mmcblk0p1" "/media/xxx/6661-6131"' exited with non-zero exit status 32: mount: unknown filesystem type 'exfat'

Error mounting fs type exfat

Solution: exfat-utils

sudo apt install exfat-utils

Software

Enigmail

Troubleshoot with this hint from Enigmail Support:

… how to disable gnome keyring on Ubuntu-based systems. Type these two commands in a Terminal window:

mv /etc/xdg/autostart/gnome-keyring-ssh.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/gnome-keyring-ssh.desktop.disabled
mv /etc/xdg/autostart/gnome-keyring-gpg.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/gnome-keyring-gpg.desktop.disabled

Also, put the following line: use-agent into your ~/.gnupg/gpg.conf Afterwards log out and log in again.

diverse

sudo apt-get install keepassx rdesktop p7zip p7zip-rar iotop iftop lm-sensors
sudo apt-get install network-manager-vpnc network-manager-vpnc-gnome vpnc

Back in time (German article at heise)

sudo apt-get install backintime-gnome

R

add

deb https://cran.uni-muenster.de/bin/linux/debian jessie-cran3/

to /etc/apt/sources.list.

gpg --keyserver pgpkeys.mit.edu --recv-key 06F90DE5381BA480
gpg -a --export 06F90DE5381BA480 | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install r-base r-base-dev libproj-dev libgdal-dev

Other

Some nice Gnome Extensions

Currently installed