Lenovo Thinkpad L412

[johnrdavisjr]

Hello World!
My name is JR Davis. I am currently running Ubuntu 10.04.1, CentOS 5.4, Fedora 13, and Windows 7. I am considering dropping everything and picking up PC-BSD. I have the LiveDVD and am going to try it first. I will say that in my personal experience with the above listed OS's is that the Video card (RV710/730) and the wireless(Realtek 8172) will not work at all. I know that with Ubuntu wireless worked properly, but with the others I had to compile the code from Realtek and go from there.

The lspci from Ubuntu are as follows:
(lspci -m)
00:00.0 "Host bridge" "Intel Corporation" "Core Processor DRAM Controller" -r02 "Lenovo" "Device 2183"
00:01.0 "PCI bridge" "Intel Corporation" "Core Processor PCI Express x16 Root Port" -r02 "" ""
00:16.0 "Communication controller" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset HECI Controller" -r06 "Lenovo" "Device 215f"
00:1a.0 "USB Controller" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller" -r06 -p20 "Lenovo" "Device 2163"
00:1b.0 "Audio device" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio" -r06 "Lenovo" "Device 215e"
00:1c.0 "PCI bridge" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 1" -r06 "" ""
00:1c.1 "PCI bridge" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 2" -r06 "" ""
00:1c.2 "PCI bridge" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 3" -r06 "" ""
00:1c.3 "PCI bridge" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 4" -r06 "" ""
00:1c.4 "PCI bridge" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 5" -r06 "" ""
00:1c.5 "PCI bridge" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 6" -r06 "" ""
00:1d.0 "USB Controller" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller" -r06 -p20 "Lenovo" "Device 2163"
00:1e.0 "PCI bridge" "Intel Corporation" "82801 Mobile PCI Bridge" -ra6 -p01 "" ""
00:1f.0 "ISA bridge" "Intel Corporation" "Mobile 5 Series Chipset LPC Interface Controller" -r06 "Lenovo" "Device 2166"
00:1f.2 "SATA controller" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 4 port SATA AHCI Controller" -r06 -p01 "Lenovo" "Device 2168"
00:1f.3 "SMBus" "Intel Corporation" "5 Series/3400 Series Chipset SMBus Controller" -r06 "Lenovo" "Device 2167"
01:00.0 "VGA compatible controller" "ATI Technologies Inc" "M92 [Mobility Radeon HD 4500 Series]" "Lenovo" "Device 21bb"
01:00.1 "Audio device" "ATI Technologies Inc" "RV710/730" "Lenovo" "Device 21bb"
02:00.0 "System peripheral" "JMicron Technology Corp." "SD/MMC Host Controller" "Lenovo" "Device 212e"
02:00.2 "SD Host controller" "JMicron Technology Corp." "Standard SD Host Controller" -p01 "Lenovo" "Device 212d"
02:00.3 "System peripheral" "JMicron Technology Corp." "MS Host Controller" "Lenovo" "Device 212f"
02:00.4 "System peripheral" "JMicron Technology Corp." "xD Host Controller" "Lenovo" "Device 2130"
03:00.0 "Network controller" "Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd." "Device 8172" -r10 "Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd." "Device e020"
04:00.0 "Ethernet controller" "Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd." "RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller" -r03 "Lenovo" "Device 2131"
ff:00.0 "Host bridge" "Intel Corporation" "Core Processor QuickPath Architecture Generic Non-core Registers" -r02 "Lenovo" "Device 2196"
ff:00.1 "Host bridge" "Intel Corporation" "Core Processor QuickPath Architecture System Address Decoder" -r02 "Lenovo" "Device 2196"
ff:02.0 "Host bridge" "Intel Corporation" "Core Processor QPI Link 0" -r02 "Lenovo" "Device 2196"
ff:02.1 "Host bridge" "Intel Corporation" "Core Processor QPI Physical 0" -r02 "Lenovo" "Device 2196"
ff:02.2 "Host bridge" "Intel Corporation" "Core Processor Reserved" -r02 "Lenovo" "Device 2196"
ff:02.3 "Host bridge" "Intel Corporation" "Core Processor Reserved" -r02 "Lenovo" "Device 2196"

(lspci -n)
00:00.0 0600: 8086:0044 (rev 02)
00:01.0 0604: 8086:0045 (rev 02)
00:16.0 0780: 8086:3b64 (rev 06)
00:1a.0 0c03: 8086:3b3c (rev 06)
00:1b.0 0403: 8086:3b56 (rev 06)
00:1c.0 0604: 8086:3b42 (rev 06)
00:1c.1 0604: 8086:3b44 (rev 06)
00:1c.2 0604: 8086:3b46 (rev 06)
00:1c.3 0604: 8086:3b48 (rev 06)
00:1c.4 0604: 8086:3b4a (rev 06)
00:1c.5 0604: 8086:3b4c (rev 06)
00:1d.0 0c03: 8086:3b34 (rev 06)
00:1e.0 0604: 8086:2448 (rev a6)
00:1f.0 0601: 8086:3b09 (rev 06)
00:1f.2 0106: 8086:3b29 (rev 06)
00:1f.3 0c05: 8086:3b30 (rev 06)
01:00.0 0300: 1002:9553
01:00.1 0403: 1002:aa38
02:00.0 0880: 197b:2382
02:00.2 0805: 197b:2381
02:00.3 0880: 197b:2383
02:00.4 0880: 197b:2384
03:00.0 0280: 10ec:8172 (rev 10)
04:00.0 0200: 10ec:8168 (rev 03)
ff:00.0 0600: 8086:2c62 (rev 02)
ff:00.1 0600: 8086:2d01 (rev 02)
ff:02.0 0600: 8086:2d10 (rev 02)
ff:02.1 0600: 8086:2d11 (rev 02)
ff:02.2 0600: 8086:2d12 (rev 02)
ff:02.3 0600: 8086:2d13 (rev 02)

My setup is below.

Processor Intel Core i3-370M Processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3, 1066MHz FSB)
Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
Operating system language Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 US English
Display type 14.0" HD AntiGlare with WWAN
System graphics Mobile Intel HM55 Express Chipset with discrete 512MB ATI Radeon Mobility HD 5145 Graphics, Gigabit Ethernet, secure chip, WWAN support
Total memory 4 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
Keyboard Keyboard US English
Pointing Device UltraNav without fingerprint reader
Hard Drive 320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Optical device DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer
Battery 6 cell 2.6Ah Li-Ion Battery - Dual Mode
Power cord Country Pack North America with Line cord & 90W AC adapter
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters 10 ThinkPad bgn Wireless
Integrated mobile broadband 65 Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable
Language Pack Language Pack US English

Does anyone have any suggestions that might allow this complete switch go more smoothly, please advise. The reason for complete changeover is for my love of open source software and drive to use a real Unix-like based system. Thank everyone for their help.

[Fatmice]

Look here. http://laptop.bsdgroup.de/freebsd/

Does your laptop exist on there?

[johnrdavisjr]

No, this laptop is not located on that site. The older model SL400, is however on the list, but does not contain any of the same hardware as that particular laptop.

[Fatmice]

Well, right off the bat, your laptop has ATI graphics. Not good. Likely your graphics will suck.

Your lan should be fine. http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=re&manpath=FreeBSD+8-current

I must be blind, I don't see your wifi on your pci list.

[johnrdavisjr]

Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters 10 ThinkPad bgn Wireless
03:00.0 "Network controller" "Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd." "Device 8172" -r10 "Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd." "Device e020"
03:00.0 0280: 10ec:8172 (rev 10)

Would it be possible to use an ATI binary blob with BSD?

[Fatmice]

Device 8172 is Realtek RTL8191SE wireless LAN 802.11N PCI-E NIC (RTL8191SE ?)

According to http://www.pcidatabase.com/reports.php?type=csv

Don't seem to be support for that.

As for ATI, there's a binary blob that you can use during graphic setup. Do not know how far it will carry you as my ATI card has no 3D support either (Radeon RV370 X300 SE)

See this post for the hardship that you might endure.
http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=16823

[johnrdavisjr]

Sounds like one of my alternatives is to run Linux on the laptop, and run FreeBSD/PC-BSD on my desktop and turn it into a server.

Also, open to any other suggestions. I own 1 laptop and 1 desktop.

OR

I have a Broadcom WIFI card that FreeBSD just started supporting using the bwi driver... I think I can deal without 3d acceleration for a bit. I dont plan on gaming in the near future, just some hacking. The primary desktop will probably be used as a file server running either centos, ubuntu, or maybe pcbsd.... we will have to see.

[johnrdavisjr]

It looks like swapping out the wireless cards is not an option, the wifi card is a pci mini express card and i do not have one of those. Is there a way to use possibly ndiswrapper with PC-BSD? or possibly rebuild or wrap a linux driver for BSD? Please advise.

http://www.realtek.com/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=21&PFid=48&Level=5&Conn=4&ProdID=226&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false&Downloads=true

[Fatmice]

You could try ndisgen with the windows driver. I don't think the linux driver will work through linux emulation since it's a kernel interface.

[johnrdavisjr]

Sorry to have bothered everyone iwth this laptop, I have changed my mind and decided to run CentOS 5.5 on the laptop and PC-BSD on the desktop... it installed and runs perfectly FYI, with a AMD/ATI 4870 vid card. I will be posting more in the future about the desktop. Thank you for everyones help and assistance!

[johnrdavisjr]

After much research, I have found out that there is an issue with the dri/KMS requirements. These are required by both the i3 and the ATI/AMD graphics. This should be fixed by 9.0, and allow me to run BSD on the laptop no problem. This is an informational reply for anyone considering this laptop.


I am currently running Ubuntu on this laptop until PC-BSD 9.0 is released.