Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Works Great As A Linux Ultrabook

[Goonie]

PCIe SSD option for the X1?

Hi Michael,

I wonder is there a chance you can compare your ATA SSD configuration with a PCIe SSD configuration? I *think* the only PCIe SSD option available by Lenovo is the 512 GB SSD. I wonder how much quicker it is for software development (actually Java, but guess a "Linux compile workload" would also do).

Cheers,

Andreas

[dimitris]

suspend and hibernate

I assume suspend to RAM works. How's hibernation? The Ubuntu page for this model claims hibernation doesn't work:

http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/hardware/201411-16196/

Similar issues on the X250 (which I would maybe prefer due to the ability - I think - to upgrade RAM, as its specs state single SODIMM rather than soldered, as well as the preferable - to me - size):

http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/hardware/201501-16339/

Of course a max of one (soldered or otherwise) memory module seems dumb, as in no dual channel. Is that still relevant in these 5th gen CPUs/chipsets?

FWIW, my 5-year-old X200s, with 8GB RAM and an SSD, still rocks F21 with very minor annoyances. I get the itch, but the memory max size/lack of upgradeability bugs me...

[cygn]

Plus I'd also worry about screen rotation working when placed into tablet mode, including the touch support flipping, and if the touchpad is disabled in tablet mode.

Thinkpad Yoga S1 here. Everything works marvelously on F21, including gnome touchscreen gestures. Just had to pull this for automatic sensor based rotation. Or this one gives you rotation / tablet controls without sensors through a GUI.

[AnonymousCoward]

Phoronix: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Works Great As A Linux Ultrabook

Nearly one month ago I bought the third-generation Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon as one of the first laptops/ultrabooks shipping with a high-end Broadwell processor. I've been running Linux on the system since receiving it, including the past ~3 weeks as my main production system, and I remain very happy with this purchase.

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=21479

The real question for me is: Will it last longer than 2 years?

Nearly all the laptops that I have purchased have become defect after 2 years due to hardware issues, mainly due to the built-in graphics cards. Just after the warranty expires, give it a few months and the laptop is defect, at least that what happened to the laptops that I've owned.

The laptops were used on a daily bases for work purposes (office, excel, etc.) with only casual gaming.

Since then I have decided not to buy any more laptops, and just simply buy a cheap desktop computer. I also still have a desktop computer from 2000 in my basement which still boots up and works without issues, though by now it's a bit slow even for just for browsing or office purposes.

[Rezza]

Is there any way to run triple external monitors on this thing? I'm guessing that you need the onelink dock.
I would buy one now if knew it could do triple monitors. Otherwise, it's macbook pro for me.

Get OneLink Pro Dock, a bit more expensive but it works pretty well. Both two external output works with recent kernel (Fedora 21) and matching Intel driver. Main advantage over all that previous USB based docks Lenovo had - it just works as it's just MST hub. It has own USB hub, ethernet and audio but again, it works with recent kernel. Sometimes I have to replug external keyboard, not sure what's wrong. I'll try to do the diff of lspci/lsusb.

So in the end, I like Carbon. The only issue is that semi-HiDPI display combined with non-HiDPI external displays (and with OneLink Pro dock you can have two Full HD outputs or just one HiDPI). GNOME is almost unusable due to x2 scaling factor. Plasma 5 with some DPI, sizec tweaking works quite well. Hardest issue was to find correct values - it's not too small on HiDPI display and not too big on external LCDs. For Firefox, AutoHDPI extension works (but for some reason it gets confused on Phoronix ).

[curaga]

Is that ethernet adapter an USB-C, or some proprietary connector?

[speculatrix]

On one hand, I want to have them please please please give me a 16GB option. But on the other hand, as none of these laptops contain DDR sockets, I know they will absolutely bend me over the barrel on cost if they do make that option available.

Things were so much simpler when you could buy the RAM you needed after you got the laptop home.

This is why I have a Dell E7440, is easy to dismantle and repair, there's no WiFi whitelist in the BIOS, and the memory isn't soldered in. Bought it off Dell Outlet, first thing I did was upgrade the memory, then later add a 1TB drive to supplement the SSD into the empty drive bay.

I just wish Dell did a 15" version of it with the 1440p display without adding a load of bulk.

[Michael]

The real question for me is: Will it last longer than 2 years?

Nearly all the laptops that I have purchased have become defect after 2 years due to hardware issues, mainly due to the built-in graphics cards. Just after the warranty expires, give it a few months and the laptop is defect, at least that what happened to the laptops that I've owned.

The laptops were used on a daily bases for work purposes (office, excel, etc.) with only casual gaming.

Since then I have decided not to buy any more laptops, and just simply buy a cheap desktop computer. I also still have a desktop computer from 2000 in my basement which still boots up and works without issues, though by now it's a bit slow even for just for browsing or office purposes.

I replace mine every 1~2 years due to being paranoid about hardware failure when this is my most critical system, needing to get newer laptops anyways to test under Linux, etc. But after being retired as my main system, I still benchmark them for years to come as shown in numerous articles.

[uid313]

Ugly

It is too bad the ThinkPad is so ugly...

[chrisb]

There are Display Port splitters to two HDMI which with laptop HDMI port (some models only) would give 3x HDMI. There are also USB3 docking stations that can provide multiple displays (thanks to for example SMSC chips), but Linux support for them is non-existing. Those DP splitters had also mixed Linux users feedback in the past... But it works on Windows.

DisplayPort MST splitters got mixed feedback under Linux because they weren't supported until very recently (3.17 kernel, October 2014). But if you have a recent kernel it should work fine... and if not, report it as a bug. There are a few mDP - 3xDP MST adaptors available now, and there are docks which incorporate MST hubs, which should all work for triplehead on Linux. As someone already mentioned, the Macbook is one of the few laptops that supports triple external displays (2xDP,1xHDMI) without needing any extra hardware.