We did it.

My ThinkPad is 100% functional now. And by 100% I really mean it. I think that somehow sound under Linux sounds better than sound under Windows...perhaps it's the fact that getting it to work was such a struggle that finally having sound working is a very sweet victory.

I am now running Kernel 2.6.9, which has gotten rid of a lot of the problems that earlier kernels have had. APM power manglement is in full effect. We "slept" this system and then woke it back up. No tries at burning CDs yet, but it will play back DVDs, including encrypted ones, although you have to tell mplayer to drop frames to keep in sync. Now once we get a DVD player running on the Windows side that is aware of the hardware assistance available from the NeoMagic chipset, it should play DVDs happily.

I'm going to be leaving here with the happy feeling that this machine is now fully functional from the Linux side. Sound was the last piece to fall into place. I mean, I am grateful for what the 4front guys did with the old install, but it sure feels better to have sound working with 100% Free/Open Source Software tools. XMMS is a lovely program but 4front is really not serving the community by holding back some of their improvements to OSS that are only available in the payware version. In typical Linux fashion, the incomplete OSS was superceded by the 100% Free ALSA system. Typical "route around damage" behavior.

Anyway, we're winding things down now. I think a nice sleep would do me some good, even though I am excited and I also had caffeine a little later than I should have tonight.

What more can I say but w00t.