See:
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T30
and
http://trac.natalian.org/browser/debian/configuration/t30/
If you have a specific question try debian-laptop.
http://lists.debian.org/debian-laptop/
I hate compiling my own kernels and always opt for Debian stock kernels.
I have got everything working except :
Hibernate/suspend which I don't really need.
A T30 with a new full battery can only expect to get about 2 hours of life. Pretty lame. Still useful in a UPS capacity.
I have not bothered to configure the power button to shutdown the machine.
The CISCO wireless card is a bit dissapointing. I can't it to work! 
http://wlan.dabase.com/