This is another great Thinkpad. It’s the oldest laptop I own, and making it work well just makes me feel good!

The X40 runs a 32-bit processor, without PAE, which means a couple of things. This limits the amount of RAM that the system can support. This also limits the type of Linux distributions that can be installed. Most distros I have tried use PAE, and will simply not install on this laptop.

The following distributions work on the X40: Antix 19, Puppy Linux Tahrpup 6.0.5.

Before installation I upgraded to an SSD. Since the X40 runs a small 44-pin IDE drive, I decided to replace it with an mSATA card and an adapter.

• 64 GB mSATA SSD
• mSATA to 1.8inch 44Pin 3.3V IDE adapter
  (Make sure to get the 3.3V adapter, and not the 5V)

Tested with Antix 19

I also tested with Puppy Linux Tahrpup 6.0.5.

Useful links:

• https://panoramacircle.com/2018/08/07/old-ibm-thinkpad-x40-with-a-new-ssd-ide-msata-adapter/