Re: Netbsd 4.0 on IBM Thinkpad T61

["Steven M. Bellovin" <smb%cs.columbia.edu@localhost>]

On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 23:44:07 -0400
Dave B <spam%y2008.dberg.net@localhost> wrote:

> On Mon, Jul 07, 2008 at 05:08:29PM -0400, Steven M. Bellovin wrote:
> ...
> > I'm running -current (mostly) successfully on a T61.  I don't think
> > the
> ...
> 
>   '(mostly)', eh?
> 
>   What gotchas are hidden in there--and are you finding you can
> happily live with them all?

kern/38683 -- which affects me, but as best I can tell affects no one
else with a T61.  To summarize: on kernels from April 13 and later,
I cannot succuessfully suspend/resume.  I've worked around that by
running an April 12 kernel.....  I'm sure it will be fixed at some
point.
> 
>   I was running 4.0 on a T61 until its HD failed.  When I get a
> replacement drive, I'll be considering running -current based on
> the better support it provides for newish T61 hw; but I have some
> hesitation because I want the stability of a formal branch...
> 
There's only one other glitch that makes it to the noticeable annoyance
level: my wireless card (wpi0, Intel PRO/Wireless LAN 3945ABG) will
often get a fatal firmware error, especially if there's a lot of
traffic.  That, coupled with a minor driver glitch, means I have to
manually ifconfig it down/up.  I should look at the driver myself about
that bug (it doesn't do the right thing about the RUNNING vs. UP flags,
which means I can't work around it via a watchd script).

One other caveat -- make sure your BIOS is reasonably up to date, or
you'll have USB problems.

As for the ability of -current -- it's usually quite good, but
sometimes goes through bad stretches.  On the machines where I track
-current, I generally 'cvs update', build it, and wait a few
days while I watch the mailing list.  If it looks stable (or, of
course, if I've been having problems), I install the version I built.
I've rarely -- but not never -- regretted doing upgrades that way.  Put
another way, I don't think the fact that you'd have to run -current is
a reason not to get a T61.  I'm happy with mine (and I was very happy
until April 13...)


                --Steve Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb