Lenovo Thinkpad W500

in opensuse 11.3 everything works perfectly

On Debian Squeeze (still testing) everything works, but you still need to configure by hand some hal issues. I had to create a file /etc/hal/fdi/policy/30-thinkpad-w500.fdi with info from http://linux.seindal.dk/2008/01/31/suspend-hibernate-problems-in-new-debian-testing-install/ and http://old.nabble.com/Help-with-suspend-hibernate-in-Gnome-Power-Manager-td15181122.html.

/etc/hal/fdi/policy/30-thinkpad-w500.fdi:

<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“ISO-8859-1”?> <!– -*- SGML -*- –>

<deviceinfo version=“0.2”>

<device>
  <!-- These are buttons synthesized in the thinkpad-acpi kernel module -->
  <match key="system.hardware.vendor" contains="LENOVO">
    <match key="system.hardware.version" string="ThinkPad W500">

      <!-- http://old.nabble.com/Help-with-suspend-hibernate-in-Gnome-Power-Manager-td15181122.html -->
      <merge key="power_management.quirk.none" type="bool">true</merge> 

      <match key="system.hardware.product" contains="40625YG">
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x01:screenlock</append> <!-- Fn+F2 lock -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x02:battery</append> <!-- Fn+F3 battery -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x03:sleep</append> <!-- Fn+F4 suspend -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x04:radio</append> <!-- Fn+F5 wifi -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x06:switchvideomode</append> <!-- Fn+F7 switch video output device -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x07:f22</append> <!-- Fn+F8 touchpadtoggle -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x08:f24</append> <!-- Fn+F9 undock -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x0b:suspend</append> <!-- Fn+F12 hibernate -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x0f:brightnessup</append> <!-- Fn+Home -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x10:brightnessdown</append> <!-- Fn+End -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x13:zoom</append> <!-- Fn+Space -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x14:volumeup</append> <!-- Volume Up button -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x15:volumedown</append> <!-- Volume Down button -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x16:mute</append> <!-- Mute button -->
        <append key="input.keymap.data" type="strlist">0x17:vendor</append> <!-- ThinkPad/ThinkVantage button -->
        <append key="info.capabilities" type="strlist">input.keymap</append>
      </match>
    </match>  
  </match>

  <match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.keymap">
    <append key="info.callouts.add" type="strlist">hal-setup-keymap</append>
  </match>

  <!-- tag the keyboard -->
  <match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.keyboard">
    <merge key="input.xkb.driver" type="string">evdev</merge>
    <merge key="input.xkb.layout" type="string">es</merge>
    <merge key="input.xkb.CoreKeyboard" type="string">yes</merge>
    <append key="info.callouts.add" type="strlist">hal-setup-keymap</append>
  </match>
  
  <!-- tag the keyboard -->
  <!-- http://www.gentoo-wiki.info/X11_Keyboard -->
  <match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.keys nonono">
    <merge key="input.xkb.model" type="string">evdev</merge>
    <merge key="input.xkb.driver" type="string">evdev</merge>
    <merge key="input.xkb.protocol" type="string">evdev</merge>
    <merge key="input.xkb.layout" type="string">es</merge>
    <merge key="input.xkb.variant" type="string">nodeadkeys</merge>
    <merge key="input.xkb.rules" type="string">xorg</merge>
  </match>
  
  <!-- tag the mouse as well -->
  <!-- http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Touchpad_Synaptics -->
  <!-- match key="info.product" contains="Synaptics TouchPad" -->
  <match key="input.x11_driver" string="synaptics">
    <merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">synaptics</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.AlwaysCore" type="string">true</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.VertEdgeScroll" type="string">true</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.HorizEdgeScroll" type="string">true</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.TapButton1" type="string">1</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.TapButton2" type="string">2</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.TapButton3" type="string">3</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.RightEdge"  type="string">5500</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.BottomEdge" type="string">4500</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.RTCornerButton" type="string">0</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.RBCornerButton" type="string">0</merge>
    
    <merge key="input.x11_options.protocol" type="string">event</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.touchpadoff" type="string">0</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.shmconfig" type="string">on</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.SHMConfig" type="string">On</merge>
  </match>
  
  <match key="info.product" contains="TPPS/2 IBM TrackPoint">
    <merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">mouse</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.EmulateWheel" type="string">true</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.EmulateWheelButton" type="string">2</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.XAxisMapping" type="string">6 7</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.YAxisMapping" type="string">4 5</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.ZAxsisMapping" type="string">4 5</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.Emulate3Buttons" type="string">true</merge>
  </match>
  
  <match key="info.product" contains="Logitech USB RECEIVER">
    <merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">evdev</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.HWHEELRelativeAxisButtons" type="string">7 6</merge>
    <merge key="input.x11_options.SendCoreEvents" type="string">true</merge>
  </match>
  
</device>

</deviceinfo>

On debian lenny + backports (debian lenny only can not be installed without network problems) there are a lot of problems, but u can manage them.

- it uses vesa x11 driver instead of intel.
- fonts, windows size and other related are really small.
- when u press suspend button it runs twice and screen is not able to came back.
- special keys as volume up/down/mute are not managed.
- touchpad needs to be configured via xorg instead of hal to work.
- I can not reduce screen brightness

but I still love Debian and my new W500.

Thinkpad W500, Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala
Gfx worked, but were buggy with the automatically installed open source ones.
(Rendering had “holes” in some meshes)

I then set the gfx in BIOS to Discrete and disabled OS detection (where it tries to guess whether or not an OS can do the switching)
After that, I installed the ATI fglrx drivers via system⇒admin⇒hardware drivers
After rebooting, I saw the “AMD Unsupported hardware” watermark, but the drivers themselves work nicely. Haven't tested a lot yet, but 3D applications work just as I'd expect them to.

Hi All,
I just got my W500. When i try to install Redhat 8.0, it just hangs at “Initializing PC Card Devices….”. Not sure what to do. I tried the settings mentioned in this page but still the same problem. Any guidence will be much appreciated.

Fedora 11 works out-of-box, the latest fglrx driver works. Resuming from suspend doesn't work still with 2.6.30 kernel.

Ubuntu LiveCD 9.04 64 bit

Wireless - work out of the box
Graphics - Intel work out of the box

1. Ati works, but can't change desktop effect
2. Ati with proprietary driver, work, but hang some times

Card Reader - work out of the box
Sound - work out of the box (mute button doesn't work)
Camera - work out of the box

Thinkpad W500
ATI : some problem switched to Integrated Intel Graphics,
Wireless : works
Sound: works
Mic: works
Ethernet: Works
Bluetooth: works
Wireless: Worked after installing iwlagn-ucode5000
OS: Sabayon 4.2
Battery : Monitor works.
Suspend/Resume: Resumes but fails to remount partition as 'rw'
Hibernate: Hibernates, doesn't come backup properly.

Installed Linux Mint Felicia and everything eventually worked apart from the fingerprint reader. At first X Windows refused to start but this problem was cured by setting the graphics to discrete.

A fix for the fingerprint reader would be nice, there are problems because Lenovo changed their vendor and the current Linux drivers only work with the old chips.

P Gant

Fixed my issue. (Guess I didn't dig deep enough on the forums).

Found the following text here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=991624&highlight=sound+w500

sound - works. ALSA provides separate volume controls for “Front” and “PCM”, although they both seem to affect the speakers and the headphone jack, but the Front Mute only mutes the speakers. Typical ALSA quirks. The speakers also mute automatically when a headphone jack in inserted.

Now here is the part that fixed it for me:

Special keys

Volume - The volume keys work with ALSA out-of-the-box. However, the mute key has some quirky behavior in that there is no on-screen indication that it has taken effect, and *pushing it again while muted does not unmute; only pushing the up or down volume key unmutes.*

Running Ubuntu 9.04

Everything worked from install after with the exception of the sound, which interestingly enough worked on the liveCD, but alas, no longer. If anyone has any idea as to how to even just start to fix this problem, I would be very grateful to hear from you. (Already searched Ubuntu Forums without any luck.)

Installed 8.10 on w500 with minimal issues:

HDD:

Set to read SATA in compatability mode.

GFX:

Default Primary Video Device: PCI Express
Boot Display Device: ThinkPad LCD
Graphics Device: Discrete Graphics
OS Detection for Switchable Graphics: Disabled

Fingerprint Reader:

Not configured yet.

Wireless:

Working out of the box.

Wireless WAN (Mobile Broadband):

Not configured yet. The Ericsson F3057g creates multiple devices.

However Lenovo provides extra HDD's with an encryption feature, which perform exceptionally poor when mounted (ntfs 3.1 / fuseblk). Am in the process of clearing a HDD of content, to format with ext3 and see how that works.

This time I hope that Kevin Sylvia reads my message.

After being happy with my successful installation of the dual boot of my w500, according to Kevin Sylvia's instructions,there is one problem:
Dim screen. Too dim !
Whenever I restart the laptop (including after hibernation) the screen is dim.
It is so dim that I can hardly read.
I changed the power management settings, but the screen is still dim on restart.
However, If I change something in the power management, while the screen is dim,
or if I disconnect and reconnect the AC power, The screen brightens.
Can anybody help me get rid of this “feature” ?

Many thanks to Kevin Sylvia !

I have just installed Ubuntu 8.10 (64) on a Thinkpad w500, as a dual boot with Vista.

1. Shrank Partition C of Vista, gained 51 GB, and started installing Ubuntu.
2. Could not install from the CD without first changing the Switchable Graphics to Integrated. (I did not try the other option).
3. After the installation I could not restart, without changing the SATA mode to “Compatibility”.

ExpressCard Slot - works
PCMCIA - works
Camera - works

Opensuse 11.1 64bits
To get the sound working, I added, in Yast→Hardware→Sound, a property called “enable_msi” with value “1”

DisplayPort converter to DVI works fine on lenovo thinkvision L220x supporting 1920×1200

SuSE 11.1 x64, Kernel 2.6.27.7-9-default
Install went well. All features are working less the following:
Forced discreet graphics in Bios.
Bluetooth operational but not allowing throughput
Webcam works less with Kopete (Kopete problem)
Sound fails with KDE V4.1 but is fully functional in KDE V3.5
Tethering to an external modem like a cell phone under KDE is non-functional.
ATI Graphics works but with slight modification due to it trying to use the 32bit drivers instead of the 64bit. Deleting the 32 bit file and creating a link to the 64 is the quick work around.
Suspend to ram and disk both work less with the ATI graphics driver. Intel and radeonhd drivers works fine.

Not Checked:
Internal Modem, Firewire port

ubuntu 8.10 with latest updates works fine

fingerprint i reached this step thats listed at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ThinkFinger and it seems can't find the USB device:

bashar@bashar-laptop:~$ sudo tf-tool –acquire
[sudo] password for bashar:

ThinkFinger 0.3 (http://thinkfinger.sourceforge.net/)
Copyright (C) 2006, 2007 Timo Hoenig thoenig@suse.de

Initializing…USB device not found.

Ubuntu 8.10 (2.6.27-9-generic) 64bit installed.
Forced discrete graphics in Bios and using ATI proprietary driver.
Ethernet, Wireless and bluetooth all work.
2 crashes over last 4 days, problem not determined, but could be related to wireless according to some other posts.

OpenSuse 11.1B5 and switchable graphics

Have installed OpenSuse 11.1 B5 and it works (Gnome tested). Booting through Vista loader and Easy BCD so I can keep compatibility with shipped tools. Set bios to Discrete and left option to have switchable if OS supports it works erratically. Results not yet predictable when Discreet actually enabled. Right out of bios on cold boot seems to work. If reboot from vista, then get intel video and bios reset to switchable. On reboot → bios → linux get intel even when discreet set.

wuxga is not compatible with xorg - works on ubuntu 8.04.1 though

Ubuntu LiveCD 8.04.1

Ethernet - works
Wireless - doesn't
Graphics - Intel card works (i965) out of the box
Card Reader - works (SD)
Sound - works

Fedora 9 32bit - quick test (no upgrade done yet, see below for reason)

Install from CD - Success

Ethernet - doesn't work
Wireless - not tested
Graphics - none of 2 cards recognised (Intel or AMD)