Slackware Linux 12 on the Lenovo 3000 N200



Version 0.3
Copyright © 2008,2009 by Zack Smith.
All rights reserved.

0. Summary

Everything appears to work fine. At first, I installed Slackware 12.0, which is 32-bit. There were not problems, but I decided to replace it with Slamd64, which is the 64-bit variant of Slackware.
  • Version 12.0 of Slamd64 works great.
  • Version 12.1 of Slamd64 requires a video driver upgrade.
  • Version 12.2 of Slamd64 may have wireless problems.

1. System Profile

My 3000-N200 has the following hardware:

Item Description Status
CPU 2.0 GHz Celeron 550 (single core / 64-bit compatible / 1 MB L2 cache / 533 MHz FSB) Works
Memory Came with 1 GB. Upgraded to 4 GB PC2-5300 at 667 MHz: peak transfer 5333 MB/s Works
Hard drive Seagate ST980811AS 80 GB and 8 MB cache Works
SATA controller Intel ICH8 SATA controller Works
Optical drive Came with combo drive. Upgraded to Pioneer slot-loading DVR-K06RS DVD burner with 64 kB cache Works
IDE controller Intel ICH8 IDE controller Works
Display & Video Chip 15.4 inch 1280x800 with Intel Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Controller Works
Sound Intel ICH8 High Definition Audio Controller Works fine with kernel 2.6.27
Wireless Networking Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Works fine with kernel 2.6.27 and 2.6.28
Ethernet Broadcom Corporation NetLink BCM5906M Fast Ethernet PCI Express Works fine.
USB 2.0 Intel ICH8 chipset Works fine
SD/MMC slot Ricoh R5C822 / R5C843 Works.
Touchpad Synaptics Touchpad Works fine
Firewire Ricoh Co Ltd R5C832 IEEE 1394 Controller Not tested.
Card34/54 slots Unknown Not tested.

2. Installation

This information is provided as-is. Proceed at your own risk.

2.1 Downloading Slackware or Slamd64 12

You can buy the Slackware DVD (it helps keep Slackware going), or you can download it. If you download, it can easily require 12 hours depending on your connection speed and the server load. So you should plan to do it overnight.

For 64-bit Linux, use Slamd64.

To burn a DVD from an ISO file under MS Windows, use DVD Decryptor, available from the download area of the venerable Doom9 site.

2.2 Linux + Vista

I suggest that you do not use Vista, at least not while connected to the Internet. There is some evidence that Vista communicates with servers at Halliburton, Department of Defense, and possibly Department of Homeland Security. This evidence first appeared on Whitedust.net, which shortly after was shut down suspiciously. Then a copy appeared at Abandonia, but before long that article was deleted as well. Best to be safe.
Source:

Infopackets article.

If you need to use a Windows application, try running it in WINE under Linux.

Be sure that before you abandon Windows, you upgrade any firmware (BIOS or DVD drive).

2.3 Linux alone

There's nothing preventing you from, upon buying this laptop, downloading the Slackware 12 DVD mentioned above along with the additional needed files and then completely replacing Vista -- except of course the need to upgrade the BIOS or optical drive's firmware. (If you need to occassionally run a Windows program there is the WINE emulator.) You may find that Linux lacks a few things you may want, like a certain video game, but otherwise Slackware 12 is surprisingly complete.

2.3.1 Before abandoning Windows

If you plan on using Linux exclusively, be sure that before you do, you copy all of the Windows TrueType fonts to a disk for use with Linux. They're in c:\windows\fonts. Firefox looks much better when using Windows fonts.

3. Drivers & performance

3.1. Boot up times

The times to boot from kernel start (after LILO loads it) until login prompt are as follows:
Runlevel 3
Until console login prompt is 26 seconds.
Runlevel 4
Until KDE login prompt is 40 seconds.

3.2. Processor

The Intel Celeron 550 is single core but this is sufficient for most purposes. Linux rates it at about 3990 bogomips.

The BYTE Magazine Dhrystone benchmark, available at anime.net says the Celeron 550 processor scores very well. Its performance index of 439 when compiling with gcc 4.1.2.

3.3. Memory Bandwidth

To determine memory performance, I wrote a utility called "bandwidth", which is here.

The Celeron 550 is capable of writing to main memory at up to 2.6 GB/second.

3.4. Video

3.4.1. X Windows

In Slackware 12.0, you can use X Windows as-is. In Slackware or Slamd64 12.1, you will need to download, build, and install the latest XFree86 Intel video driver. That driver is here.

Here is my xorg.conf: 

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier    "Generic Keyboard"
    Driver        "kbd"
    Option        "XkbRules"    "xorg"
    Option        "XkbModel"    "pc105"
    Option        "XkbLayout"    "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier    "Configured Mouse"
    Driver        "mouse"
    Option        "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier    "Synaptics Touchpad"
    Driver        "synaptics"
    Option        "SendCoreEvents"    "true"
    Option        "Device"        "/dev/psaux"
    Option        "Protocol"        "auto-dev"
    Option        "HorizEdgeScroll"    "0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier    "Intel"
    Driver      "intel"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier    "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier    "Default Screen"
    Monitor        "Configured Monitor"
    Device        "Intel"
    DefaultDepth 24
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier    "Default Layout"
    Screen        "Default Screen"
    InputDevice    "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

3.4.2. Framebuffer

You can boot up in VESA 1024x768 mode, which is always stretched to fit the 1280x800 screen. The BIOS does not permit turning off stretching.

3.4.3 Video playback

Overall playback is very good using mplayer under X Windows, which is not included with Slackware 12.

3.5. Sound

The Intel high-definition audio chip works with kernel 2.6.27 basically fine. The speakers are not very strong but they work and the headphones work.

Performance of sound recording in the context of using Skype for voice-over-IP is not wonderful. The driver in the 2.6.28.5 kernel seems to incorrectly use both the front microphone and the plug-in microphone simultaneously. The result is that sound seems muffled.

I have not tested sound recording at the command-line, but the following command should record 10 seconds of WAV data: 

arecord -d 10 foo.wav

3.6. ACPI & power usage

Average usage while charging seems to be about 60 watts, tested using a Kill-a-Watt device. When the battery is charged it drops below 30 watts.

Kill-a-Watt meter:

3.7. USB

Four ports total. They work fine.

3.8. Card34/Card54 slot

Not tested.

3.9 Networking

3.9.1 Ethernet

Briefly tested. It seems to work fine.

3.9.2 Wireless

The Intel wireless chip works fine. Since kernel 2.6.24 the driver is now in the kernel tarball. However the proprietary Intel firmware is not and you will need to download that. Google for iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode or iwlwifi-3945-2.ucode.

FYI, the process for using Wifi is:

  1. iwlist wlan0 scan
  2. iwconfig wlan0 essid NetworkName key Password
  3. dhcpcd wlan0

Lastly, the wireless kill switch on the front of the computer does function under Linux.

3.10 Internal DVD writer

This machine came with a CDRW/DVD combo drive. I immediately replaced it with a Pioneer DVR-K06RS slot-loading DVD writer, which costs about $80 from MWave.com.

K3B is the preferred DVD burning tool. It's included and it works perfectly.

3.11 SATA drive

In order to avoid hassles, I went into the BIOS and switched the SATA drive to IDE compatibility mode.

3.11.1. Driver

It works fine. The utility hdparm indicates (hdparm -I /dev/sda) that it's using udma5.

3.11.2. Performance

Performance is as follows: 
# hdparm -t /dev/sda
/dev/sda:
 Timing buffered disk reads:  124 MB in  3.03 seconds =  40.97 MB/sec
# hdparm -T /dev/sda
/dev/sda:
 Timing cached reads:   1568 MB in  2.00 seconds = 783.56 MB/sec

3.12 SD/MMC

I inserted a class 6 SD into the SD port and got this performance: 
# hdparm -t /dev/mmcblk0

/dev/mmcblk0:
 Timing buffered disk reads:   10 MB in  3.60 seconds =   2.78 MB/sec
# hdparm -T /dev/mmcblk0

 /dev/mmcblk0:
  Timing cached reads:   1798 MB in  2.00 seconds = 899.21 MB/sec

3.13. Synaptics trackpad

It works fine.

4. Software

4.1. KDE & Xfce

I got tired of the fact that KDE crashes periodically so I switched to Xfce. It is better in my opinion and you can still use KDE applications.

4.2. Applications

If you're installing Slackware, you're probably already technically adept. Still, you may not know about all your options. Here is a table of equivalent applications between Vista & Slackware 12. (I'm not very familiar with KDE so I mostly leave its apps out.)
Type Windows Slackware X-Windows Slackware framebuffer Slackware command-line
Word processing MS Office / OpenOffice KOffice - TeX
Web browser Firefox/IE/Safari Firefox/SeaMonkey/Konqueror - Lynx & links
Email reader Thunderbird/Outlook Thunderbird - Pine
DVD burning Windows/Nero K3B - mkisofs+growisofs
Audio player WMP/Winamp/Real gxine/Audacious/noatun/mplayer fbxine aplay/amp/mpg123/mpg321
Video player WinDVD/ZoomPlayer/Quicktime/WMP/Winamp/Real mplayer/gxine/Amarok fbxine mplayer -vo aa:width=100:height=66
Video editor MovieMaker/VirtualDub AviDeMux - N/A
Photo editor PhotoGallery/Photoshop/GIMP GIMP - N/A
CD ripper WMP/CDex/FreeRip/iTunes kaudiocreator - -
DVD backup utility DVDDecryptor/FairUse ? - -
DVD authoring DVDFlick ? - -
Drawing program MSPaint Inkscape/Xfig - -
Simple document editor Wordpad - - -
Text editor Notepad/gvim gvim - vim
Keyboard macro utility AutoHotkey ? - -

5. Kernel

My .config file for kernel 2.6.2[78].* is here.

You should always compile your own kernels no matter which distro you use. The reason is simple. While Slackware as a company is theoretically much more ethical than others, the US government could always slip in some spyware in a precompiled kernel and then require that Patrick not tell anyone it's there.

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