D. Configuring an IBM T42p ThinkPad for Red Hat Enterprise Linux

This document details how to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux on a bare IBM T42p ThinkPad for using Accelrys' Linux-based products. Specifically, these instructions are customized for RHEL 3.0 WS Update 3 with version 8.8.25 of the ATI unified video drivers.

1. Install the OS

Install RHEL WS 3.0 Update 3 (U3).

2. Video Configuration

This machine has an ATI MOBILITY FIRE GL T2 graphics card. Use the proprietary closed-source driver from ATI to provide accelerated 3D OpenGL support. The driver can downloaded from ATI here:

http://www.ati.com/

You should use version 8.8.25 for XFree86 4.3.

Notes on installing the ATI driver

The ATI website provides a driver in rpm format. It is documented on their site that this RPM conflicts with the Mesa libraries that are required for certain Accelrys products. According to ATI the procedure is to force installation of their driver.

> rpm -Uh --force fglrx_4_3_0-8.8.25-1

This has the effect of replacing the GL shared objects that came from Mesa with the ones from the ATI driver. Check this by using the verify options for both packages:

> rpm -V fglrx_4_3_0-8.8.25-1
> rpm -V XFree86-Mesa-libGL-4.3.0-68.EL

Only the XFree86-Mesa package should give conflicts for the following files and links:

....L... /usr/X11R6/lib/libGL.so.1

S.5...GT /usr/X11R6/lib/libGL.so.1.2

....L... /usr/lib/libGL.so.1|

After forcing the driver installation, the kernel module then needs to be built and installed:

> cd /lib/modules/fglrx/build_mod/ 
> sh make.sh 
> cd /lib/modules/fglrx/ 
> sh make_install.sh

This procedure may give errors about not being GPL'd software resulting in a tainted kernel. The ATI website says this message may be ignored.

Now configure the graphics:

Run the fglrxconfig tool. Use the defaults.

Run the Red Hat video configuration tool, redhat-config-xfree86. This tool allows the monitor and video hardware lists in the GUI to be specified, but also preserves the unique options generated by the fglrxconfig tool.

The redhat-config-xfree86 program will automatically rename the file as "XF86Config" upon exit, avoiding confusion which can occur if the deprecated XF86Config-4 name is in use.

This should generate a "XF86Config" in /etc/X11.

Now reboot the machine. Check that ATI kernel module is present using the 'lsmod' command - it should list fglrx:

> lsmod | grep fglrx

fglrx 221160 8

Then run an OpenGL demo to check the frame rate and confirm that the graphics are hardware accelerated. Glxgears should exceed 1000 fps.

> glxgears # or, 
> stars

The latter is downloadable from:

http://www.cr0.net:8040/code/opengl/demos.tgz

Modem

T42p has a new Conexant-based modem. While the "shareware" driver is available from Linuxant, this restricts download to 14.4k. Instead use the full-functioning drivers available from IBM.

USB Mouse

To enable an external USB mouse add the following lines to /etc/x11/XF86Config and then reboot the machine:

# If the normal CorePointer mouse is not a USB mouse then# this input device can be used in AlwaysCore mode to let you
# also use USB mice at the same time.
Identifier  "DevInputMice"
Driver      "mouse"
Option	    "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option	    "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option	    "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
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