[TriLUG] Customizing Ubuntu for UNC, got a T60p?

[Cristóbal Palmer]

Apologies if you're getting this email multiple times because of cross-posting.

== Executive Summary ==

(1) If you have a CCI laptop from this year (a ThinkPad T60p with an
ATI Mobility FireGL v5250 graphics card and atheros 802.11abg
wireless) and are willing to loan it to me for 72 hours or otherwise
help me test Ubuntu on it, please email or call me about meeting up.
(2) If you know how to make an Ubuntu derivative LiveCD that will work
with the above by default, please email or call me.

== Full story ==

The BAD news:

The CCI Lenovo ThinkPad T60p (the model that will be most popular with
this year's incoming students) has a currently-unsupported video card
under Ubuntu. Translation: no working graphical interface with a
default Ubuntu install. There's a free-to-download driver that will
work, but it's not Open Source and will therefore not likely be on the
default CD in the near future. This sucks. :(

The GOOD news:

It's possible to re-master the Ubuntu CD and swap in things like a
video driver, different artwork, etc. This is not something that can
happen overnight, however. I'm going to have to figure out if I can
borrow this laptop I've got on loan for longer or borrow it for a
similar period of time in the future.

If anybody wants to help me play around with this process, here's the
wikipage to start reading:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDCustomization. Also, here's
the bug I tacked my notes onto for the graphics problem:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg/+bug/118225

Email me if you want to meet up and hack on it. I may or may not have
to hand back the one I've got tomorrow (Thursday) night at eight. If
YOU have a T60p that you just got at CTOPS (or elsewhere--I don't care
as long as it has the same graphics card and the atheros 802.11abg
wireless card) and are in or around Chapel Hill, PLEASE WRITE ME about
meeting up and testing out derivative LiveCDs that I cook up. I have
plenty of space to back up your data and we'll be gentle with your
brand new lappie, I promise. :)

Cheers,
-- 
Cristóbal M. Palmer
administrator!!! please hope me!