I would firstly like to thank you for all the assistance you are giving me. I tried to install the packages you listed but in each case it says that the packages are already installed and most recent (see below for details)

1.:
filename:       /lib/modules/3.0.0-12-generic/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/hdaps.ko
license:        GPL v2
description:    IBM Hard Drive Active Protection System (HDAPS) driver
author:         Robert Love
srcversion:     6D40BA5C430D561BA82F64E
depends:        input-polldev
vermagic:       3.0.0-12-generic SMP mod_unload modversions 
parm:           invert:invert data along each axis. 1 invert x-axis, 2 invert y-axis, 3 invert both axes. (int)

2.:
FATAL: Error inserting hdaps (/lib/modules/3.0.0-12-generic/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/hdaps.ko): No such device

3.:
[   29.470370] hdaps: supported laptop not found!
[   29.470375] hdaps: driver init failed (ret=-19)!
[12877.808581] hdaps: supported laptop not found!
[12877.808585] hdaps: driver init failed (ret=-19)!
[15560.206898] hdaps: supported laptop not found!
[15560.206905] hdaps: driver init failed (ret=-19)!

Hmmm, that's almost the same...? I keep noticing x86 in the path. Do you think that the fact that I am running amd64 has anything to do with the issue?

thank you again for your help on this issue.


Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
linux-headers-generic is already the newest version.
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  liblash3 libboost-filesystem1.42.0 libdb5.1-java-gcj libopencascade-foundation-6.3.0 gcj-4.6-jre-lib
  libdb4.7-java gcj-4.6-base libenet0debian1 libgcj-bc libbluray0 libdb4.7-java-gcj libboost-system1.42.0
  libquicktime1 libboost-signals1.42.0 libmp4v2-0 libboost-program-options1.42.0 libdbi0
  libboost-iostreams1.42.0 libgcj11 libgcj12 libdb5.1-java libopencascade-modeling-6.3.0 xulrunner-1.9.2
  libmatroska3 libboost-thread1.42.0 gcj-4.5-base wine1.2-gecko libaqhbci19 libhx25 gcj-4.5-jre-lib
  libkadm5clnt-mit7 libkadm5srv-mit7 libkdb5-4 libgcj-common libboost-regex1.42.0 libebml3 python-gweather
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
zandstra@zandstra-thinkpad-r60:~$ sudo apt-get install tp-smapi-dkms
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
tp-smapi-dkms is already the newest version.
tp-smapi-dkms set to manually installed.
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  liblash3 libboost-filesystem1.42.0 libdb5.1-java-gcj libopencascade-foundation-6.3.0 gcj-4.6-jre-lib
  libdb4.7-java gcj-4.6-base libenet0debian1 libgcj-bc libbluray0 libdb4.7-java-gcj libboost-system1.42.0
  libquicktime1 libboost-signals1.42.0 libmp4v2-0 libboost-program-options1.42.0 libdbi0
  libboost-iostreams1.42.0 libgcj11 libgcj12 libdb5.1-java libopencascade-modeling-6.3.0 xulrunner-1.9.2
  libmatroska3 libboost-thread1.42.0 gcj-4.5-base wine1.2-gecko libaqhbci19 libhx25 gcj-4.5-jre-lib
  libkadm5clnt-mit7 libkadm5srv-mit7 libkdb5-4 libgcj-common libboost-regex1.42.0 libebml3 python-gweather
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.