Trying to install on a Thinkpad T430U?

[ledoktre]

Ok, now I am confused.

I ran memtest86 4.2, which didn't properly identify the CPU. Ok, fine. Download memtest86 5.0 B1, it detects just fine. Its running through the test for a while, and I thought, lets check out the temp on the keyboard, see if its heating up with all this 'work'. I ever so lightly put my hand on the keyboard and feel the temp across the keyboard. It 100% wiggs out (ram errors) and reboots. Ok, this isn't good. Tried it a couple more times, same thing.

Thought, ok, did I mount the keyboard properly when I upgraded the ram? Is there something on the new ram touching when its not supposed to? I put the stock ram back in and re-ran the test. I let it pass once without errors (did seem to run faster, but attributed to 1/4 the ram - 4gb). On the second pass, I played with the touchpad and bam, wiggs out. So this 'wigging out' on the test is probably something not worked out in beta yet.

For kicks and giggles, I thought I'd try booting. Wouldn't ya know it, it booted right in like nobody's business. So now I'm left wondering why my shiny new ram isn't letting the system function properly. I rebooted several times, speed seems to be just fine. No errors on boot.

Does LMDE or Mint 14 have some particular issue with higher ram? Assuming no. Opened a post at thinkpads.com to try and figure out from someone there if I need a bios update, etc.

Any advice on properly tweaking the system at this point? I did see the wireless isn't working yet, and not sure what else.

Thanks,

[ledoktre]

Got the ram thing figured out. Thought I'd post here for everyone just in case it might help someone.

Here's how I got it figured out finally.

I had memtest86+ 4.2 on a thumb drrive. Tried it, but it didn't recognize ivy bridge cpu's. So I downloaded the 5.0 b1. It did recognize it, and it was humming along just fine. I thought, wow, its working the ram over, wonder if its generating any heat. I ever so gently felt the keys on the keyboard, and the page filled with errors and rebooted. Ok, thats not cool! I re-ran it, and sure enough when I touched the keyboard (and not pressing any keys mind you) it errored and rebooted. So now I'm thinking, did I somehow install the ram incorrectly, and when I press the keyboard, its shorting out???

This was really concerning me, so I pulled it apart and reinstalled the stock ram. Ran the same test, SAME THING. So now I have no idea whats causing it (a bug in the program?). I thought, well, why not try booting up, whats to lose? I was surprised to find out it booted right up, no problem. So now all I know is it boots with 4gb ram, but is dog slow with 16. Bad ram? Don't know, couldn't get the test to run right.

I decided that maybe I should try it again, perhaps it just needed to be reseated or something. Swapped the 4 for my 2 8's. Tried booting, slow again. I started poking around the bios and my solution ended up being that I found an option in the bios (and I have no idea why!) that was enabled, something to the effect "remap all ram above 4gb". I disabled it, and wouldn't ya know it, speed is fine again.

Now just debating on if I want to run Mint 14 or LMDE. I had tried installing Mint 14, but it just sorta hangs during the bootup. LMDE seems to install straight away, so it looks like we've got a winner!

Thanks guys,

[caf4926]

Epic account! Kinda scary too...

[ledoktre]

Thanks. Yeah, it was kinda scary. I've been around PC's/Laptop's long enough that this one was really throwing me for a loop.. Never had this weird kind of issues before. Got LMDE installed now and actually updating from UP4 to UP6 now. Still wish I could figure out the color thing behind the text on the desktop icons and the minimize effect (I used to use compiz, and I miss the effect of sliding the app into the task bar when minimizing, or reverse when restoring).

[caf4926]

Is the install completely new and clean, or are you using a /home that was used previously?

Different themes will give different results.....?

[ledoktre]

Install is completely fresh (as in format the drive, no existing partitions). Had some trouble with the Mint 14 hanging on 'detecting hardware' as I recall (finishing up install). I decided in the end to put LMDE on it, and it installed no prob. The only thing that I have to figure out (that I can tell) is the wireless driver and thumbprint driver. Wireless I got going this afternoon fairly easily, and have not looked into the thumbprint reader. I remember Mint 14 detected it on its own, haven't checked on LMDE.

As far as the colors, css etc. I was just looking to put a colored background behind the text that is under the desktop icons. I have a wallpaper script that I wrote that downloads 10 random wallpapers from InterfaceLift every hour (except for the ones that already exist, it doesn't). It then changes the wallpaper randomly every 10 minutes. I really like it this way BUT... Some wallpaper is dark, some is light. Having a solid color behind the text would make it readable on any wallpaper. As it is, I can't read it on half the wallpaper depending on the colors. I know that it is possible, like when you select a desktop icon, it is solid -- but I have so far been unsuccessful in getting it to put a background on all of the desktop icon text (I hope I am describing this properly). Tried copying the settings from the .active section to the regular, but does not appear to read it.

The only other thing (and this is getting a little bit picky perhaps!) was that previously to Gnome3 and Cinnamon, I used Compiz. Probably the thing that I miss most is the skewer effect used when minimizing or restoring the windows. I had it set so that when you minimized it would slide the whole window into the taskbar and fade as it went into the bar. And reverse for retstore. It just looked really cool. Can't run compiz on Cinnamon that I have read, and haven't figured out how to import the effect. Any advice?

Thanks,

[caf4926]

You might want to start a new post that will have a topic that attracts the right people to answer you.

I typically don't use effects, even though my hardware will support it.
Hence I'm not really qualified to answer you

[ledoktre]

Thought about that. I've got a post started some weeks back in the Cinnamon area, but its pretty much staled out. Thought I"d put it on here too to see if (just by chance ) you knew... heheh

Thanks,

[caf4926]

In kde I could help and kde can do all that wallpaper stuff by default

[ledoktre]

I tried KDE.. I just couldn't get onto it for some reason. Maybe I should try it again. Cinnamon is pretty darned sweet though! Does KDE do that minimize / restore effect that I mentioned? In compiz it was called skewer.

[caf4926]

kde has a whole range of effects
Built in to kwin
I can't say if it's exactly like as you expect. But yes there is a effect related to what you describe

[ledoktre]

I checked out the live cd for KDE. Not too bad, but I gotta tell ya, Cinnamon is awesome I may just have to forgo the custom transitions for now -- more will probably end up in the system as it matures.

Still trying to see if I can get Mint 14 running though - for now, it just sorta gets stuck at the 'configuring hardware' part of the install. Move the mouse, etc, no problem. Just won't finish the install.

[redline135]

I want to say thanks for posting this info.
I had a hell of a time trying to get my 16gb of ram to work. I was having the same issues as you described. But after checking the bios and disabled that function, all is well and working.

Again, Thanks!

=-=R

Got the ram thing figured out. Thought I'd post here for everyone just in case it might help someone.

Here's how I got it figured out finally.

I had memtest86+ 4.2 on a thumb drrive. Tried it, but it didn't recognize ivy bridge cpu's. So I downloaded the 5.0 b1. It did recognize it, and it was humming along just fine. I thought, wow, its working the ram over, wonder if its generating any heat. I ever so gently felt the keys on the keyboard, and the page filled with errors and rebooted. Ok, thats not cool! I re-ran it, and sure enough when I touched the keyboard (and not pressing any keys mind you) it errored and rebooted. So now I'm thinking, did I somehow install the ram incorrectly, and when I press the keyboard, its shorting out???

This was really concerning me, so I pulled it apart and reinstalled the stock ram. Ran the same test, SAME THING. So now I have no idea whats causing it (a bug in the program?). I thought, well, why not try booting up, whats to lose? I was surprised to find out it booted right up, no problem. So now all I know is it boots with 4gb ram, but is dog slow with 16. Bad ram? Don't know, couldn't get the test to run right.

I decided that maybe I should try it again, perhaps it just needed to be reseated or something. Swapped the 4 for my 2 8's. Tried booting, slow again. I started poking around the bios and my solution ended up being that I found an option in the bios (and I have no idea why!) that was enabled, something to the effect "remap all ram above 4gb". I disabled it, and wouldn't ya know it, speed is fine again.

Now just debating on if I want to run Mint 14 or LMDE. I had tried installing Mint 14, but it just sorta hangs during the bootup. LMDE seems to install straight away, so it looks like we've got a winner!

Thanks guys,

[ledoktre]

Redline,

You are quite welcome. Glad it helped you out!

Thanks,