So I’ve aquired an IBM Thinkpad model T30. Thought it would be the perfect machine to install, test and play with Ubuntu on. Oops!

Major issue #1
You cannot install Ubuntu. Not. At all. Partitioning starts then hangs at 15%

Solution – IBM forums
Ubuntu cannot handle the extravagant 32 year old video on this space age machine. The solution is to select Safe Mode “F4″ on the install screen. Sweet, like Windows 3.11!

Major issue #2
I’m up and running and guess what, the video card and display are both “generic” and I’m stuck with 256 color 800×600 display with zero options to change. Guess issue #1 should have given me a clue eh?

Solution – aquire computer science degree and spend weekend hiding from your family. I ain’t doing it! “edit the xdork conf file using the transom converter while closing your left eye, smacking the monitor while doing a shot of tequila”.
Hey I always kinda liked 800×600… Ooops the OS doesn’t!!! Silly OS has GUI widgets with confirm/deny (yes/no) buttons off the screen!! The OS forces me to 800×600 but it’s own components won’t function at that resolution? Looks like Tequila is a common solution.

Major issue #3
No sound. Click the volume control with the big red X through it and I get this valuable feedback “No volume control GStreaming plugins and/or devices found.”
Well thanks for that awesome feedback! I guess that once again the space age nature of my T30’s sound card and drivers (so old it’s unsupported by IBM) baffles this cutting edge Linux distribution known as Ubuntu.

Major issue #4
No further major issues. I achieved the critical space where I either loose a weekend to compensate for an OS that cannot handle a six year old Laptop model used by millions or move along to more important issues like my second cup of coffee.

I’ve played with GUI based Linux installs on and off for 10+ years. Red Hat, Mandrake, Suse, Ubuntu… seems the more things advance the more some stay the same. Sad as I was pyshced to use Ubuntu.

Updated: Obviously the Ubuntu developers read this post…… and unlike the folks who sent me love mail decided to improve the planet instead of hate it. Ubuntu 8.10 – Intrepid Ibex fixed the install problem, recognized Video and Audio and had all kinds of nice updates and changes
http://bizarrelinux.blogspot.com/2008/11/improvements-in-gnome-224-and-ubuntu_05.html