Fedora 15 on Thinkpad T410 or T420

[ciaraldi]

I posted this on the "Hardware" forum but did not get many results, so I thought I would check over here.

I have a new T420s, which has an i7-2620m (Sandy Bridge) processor. it has integrated Intel graphics (HD3100) and discrete Nvidia Optimus grpahics (NVS4200m). In the BIOS I can activate just the integrated graphics, just the discrete, or switchable between both. The T410s has a similar arrangement, but one generation older. The T410 and T420 are similar but with only integrated graphics.

I did a fresh install of Fedora 15 and it works pretty well, but the video uses the vesa driver and is limited to 1024x768 pixels, not the 1600x900 that the LCD panel is capable of displaying (and it does in Windows 7).

I have tried various Intel and Nvidia drivers, but none of them work; usually they say they cannot find the hardware or they lock up. I am willing to use just the integrated graphics or just the discrete (without switching) if I can just get that 1600x900 resolution.

Does anyone have X working on a T410, T410s, T410, or T420s? What driver are you using? what does your xorg.conf file look like?

Thanks!

[Setlew]

I have a similar problem with my IdeaPad V570, with Intel HD3000 graphics. 1024x768 graphics using the vesa driver in xorg.conf with F14. If I find a solution, I'll let you know.

[ciaraldi]

Thanks. Someone in another thread from a few months ago said they had a similar problem with Fedora 14, but switching to the 15 beta fixed it. I was using the released 15.

The latest Fedora 15 kernel is 2.6-38. I read somewhere else that you need kernel 2.3-39 (which was just finalized three days ago) to use the newest Intel driver. So I downloaded the nightly build of the Fedora 16 alpha live CD, which uses kernel 3.0-0rc6. That has just booted up. With the BIOS set to Integrated Graphics only, it boots up with just the center portion of the screen being used. Going into gnome-control-center, it says that it is mirroring both screens (LCD and external), and limits the resolution to 1024x768. But if I turn off mirroring, it then allows 1600x900 on the LCD. Yay!

Unfortunately, when I click on Apply it just sits there with the original screen for about 15 seconds (when it should be asking me if I want to keep this new setting) and then comes back as if it has restored the original setting.

Update: I just booted the 16 alpha again, and now I was able to switch the resolution!

I will keep working on it...

[David Batson]

See if this thread is any help. I saw it a few days ago over at notebookreview.com

http://forum.notebookreview.com/leno...nux-t420s.html