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Last active October 30, 2021 18:52
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Linux on Thinkpad P14s Gen2 AMD / T14 Gen2 AMD

Linux (Ubuntu 21.10) on a Thinkpad P14s Gen2 AMD

This is a fork where I'll try to show my own experience and setup for running Linux + Win 10 dual boot on a 2021 Thinkpad P14s Gen2 with AMD Ryzen 7 5850U. I recommend to as well look at the gist I forked this from!

Detailed specs

Shipped:

  • Host: 21A1S00D00 ThinkPad P14s Gen 2 with AMD CPU (sometimes referred to as "Gen2a")
  • Resolution: 1920x1080 (400 Nits low power display)
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U
  • GPU: integrated Vega 8 (it uses up to 4GB of the RAM)
  • Memory: 16 GB
  • SSD: 1 TB (Samsung), NVMe

Custom:

  • additional 16 GB RAM (Crucial 3200 MHz SO-DIMM) (1 module)

Distribution

I started right away with Ubuntu 21.10 on kernel 5.13 (the "stock" kernel that comes with Ubuntu). I am running the machine in a dual boot configuration with Windows 10 Pro (currently 21H1).

Installation

Ubuntu

Windows was installed first, then Ubuntu. The SSD was partitioned accordingly. I used the default GUI-installation for Ubuntu.

Problems and Fixes

There are some problems out-of-the-box:

WLAN/WiFi

The most obvious problem after installation was the non-existence of the WLAN-interface, so I had to use a LAN-cable first. The problem is the Realtek chip 8852AE, which is built in the AMD-version of this laptop. The drivers for this card are not in the linux-kernel yet or not in kernel 5.13. I installed the drivers from re repo mentioned below and this works out so far.

Realtek 8852AE

There is a github-repo (https://github.com/lwfinger/rtw89), where you can find the suitable driver. I followed the instructions there.

Basically, do (look in the driver's repo for more instructions):

git clone https://github.com/lwfinger/rtw89.git -b v5
cd rtw89
make
sudo make install
sudo modprobe rtw89pci

If you get an error on make you may have to restart the machine and try it again [Comment: I did not have this problem]. After finishing you should be able to use WLAN as desired.

When you update to a newer kernel (and reboot), you have to activate this modul again with the following steps:

cd rtw89
make clean
make
sudo make install
sudo modprobe rtw89pci

It sounds like this driver is on a good way to get into the kernel.

Standby (Sleep/Hibernate)

Original text:

Next problem was the not working standby. This is really annoying: when you close the lid or wait for the Thinkpad to go to sleep, it will go to some sleep-state, but can't wake up and will reboot the whole system.
But the fix is easy: Go to BIOS-Settings - Config - Energy-Optimization - select Linux instead of Windows 10. [Comment: when I did this after installing both OSs, the BIOS warned me that a complete re-install would be necessary when changing this option. This was not the case, there was no problem at all]

Comment: I am still experimenting with standby (suspend) and hibernate possibilities.

Optimizations

TLP

I installed TLP for battery tuning.

Docking

I am currently using the (relatively new) Thinkpad Universal USB-C dock with 2 external screens. I have made some mixed experiences with this configuration. I will report more details in the near future once I have done some systematic observations.

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