Ubuntu
gnome-settings-daemon package

Brightness control stopped working

Bug #1105604 reported by bcbc
72
This bug affects 16 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
gnome-settings-daemon (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Low
Unassigned

Bug Description

Just ran latest raring updates. Screen on full brightness, Fn keys didn't move the slider. Going to the Brightness settings I can move the slider but it has no effect.
[Update March 13]The Fn keys work to move the slider after the latest updates, but it has no effect on the brightness[Update March 13]

Setting it manually still works: echo 978 > /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: gnome-settings-daemon 3.6.4-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-1.5-generic 3.8.0-rc4
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-1-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.8-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Jan 25 17:22:04 2013
InstallationDate: Installed on 2011-10-08 (475 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Beta amd64 (20111006)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: gnome-settings-daemon
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

See original description
Revision history for this message
bcbc (bcbc) wrote :
Revision history for this message
bcbc (bcbc) wrote :

Now on Raring, the backlight is off after resuming from suspend. I have to run the following (blind type) after resuming each time:
echo 978 | sudo tee /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness

Also, the function keys to control the brightness setting still don't work. They do on Quantal.

tags: added: regression
Revision history for this message
bcbc (bcbc) wrote :
Download full text (12.8 KiB)

Here is the syslog during the suspend/wake. This maybe a separate bug... but will move later if nec:

Mar 8 18:49:30 malraux kernel: [ 593.626366] composite sync not supported
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux kernel: [ 593.787884] composite sync not supported
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <info> sleep requested (sleeping: no enabled: yes)
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <info> sleeping or disabling...
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <info> (wlan0): device state change: activated -> unmanaged (reason 'sleeping') [100 10 37]
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <info> (wlan0): deactivating device (reason 'sleeping') [37]
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <info> (wlan0): canceled DHCP transaction, DHCP client pid 1400
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux avahi-daemon[999]: Withdrawing address record for fe80::8ea9:82ff:fe4b:1e68 on wlan0.
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux avahi-daemon[999]: Leaving mDNS multicast group on interface wlan0.IPv6 with address fe80::8ea9:82ff:fe4b:1e68.
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux avahi-daemon[999]: Interface wlan0.IPv6 no longer relevant for mDNS.
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux kernel: [ 594.489654] wlan0: deauthenticating from 38:60:77:e9:54:81 by local choice (reason=3)
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux kernel: [ 594.504444] cfg80211: Calling CRDA to update world regulatory domain
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux avahi-daemon[999]: Withdrawing address record for 192.168.0.13 on wlan0.
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux avahi-daemon[999]: Leaving mDNS multicast group on interface wlan0.IPv4 with address 192.168.0.13.
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <warn> DNS: plugin dnsmasq update failed
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <info> Removing DNS information from /sbin/resolvconf
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux dnsmasq[1431]: setting upstream servers from DBus
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux avahi-daemon[999]: Interface wlan0.IPv4 no longer relevant for mDNS.
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux wpa_supplicant[1219]: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED bssid=00:00:00:00:00:00 reason=3
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux kernel: [ 594.521001] cfg80211: World regulatory domain updated:
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux kernel: [ 594.521006] cfg80211: (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux kernel: [ 594.521009] cfg80211: (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux kernel: [ 594.521012] cfg80211: (2457000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux kernel: [ 594.521014] cfg80211: (2474000 KHz - 2494000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux kernel: [ 594.521016] cfg80211: (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux kernel: [ 594.521018] cfg80211: (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <info> (wlan0): cleaning up...
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <info> (wlan0): taking down device.
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <info> (eth0): device state change: unavailable -> unmanaged (reason 'sleeping') [20 10 37]
Mar 8 18:49:31 malraux NetworkManager[1067]: <info> (e...

Revision history for this message
bcbc (bcbc) wrote :

Latest update... the brightness control keys 'work'. The slider moves up and down, but there is no impact to the actual brightness. I'm controlling the brightness manually by setting it automatically after bootup and resume|thaw via scripts.

I'm running raring with the Mir ppa, but I have another non-Mir raring install if you need any information sans-mir

description: updated
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Changed in gnome-settings-daemon (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
bcbc (bcbc) wrote :

Just noticed my brightness controls are working again.

Revision history for this message
panmari (panmari) wrote :

I can use the slider in the brighness settings, but my fn-keys don't work anymore in 13.04.

Revision history for this message
Fábio Silva (fabiogsilva) wrote :

The controls still don't work in my Dell Inspiron 15R with Raring.
However, I can change the brightness by running this command in the terminal:
echo XXX > /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness

Revision history for this message
bcbc (bcbc) wrote :

An update on this bug... I have two raring installs. For one of them the brightness controls work, one doesn't.

The one that doesn't work is a vanilla upgrade to Raring 13.04 from Quantal 12.10.

The one that works is also an upgrade from 12.10, but there are two major differences:
1. I installed Gnome Shell
2. I am running the Mir PPA

I have no idea which of the above might account for the brightness controls working, but installing Gnome shell should be harmless and it's not a bad desktop - so I'd recommend to try that. I don't recommend using the Mir PPA.

There is a question on Askubuntu that I provided the brightness settings you can use (manually) to work around the issue:
http://askubuntu.com/a/289177/14916 (specific to a Dell Inspiron N4010)

Revision history for this message
pawloch (pawloch) wrote :

#!/bin/bash

NUM2=`cat /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness`

if [ 'up' = $1 ]; then
 NUM2=`expr $NUM2 \+ 50`
else
 NUM2=`expr $NUM2 \- 50`
fi
echo $NUM2 > /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness

use with up or dn parameter to control brightness until resolved

Revision history for this message
Sebastien Bacher (seb128) wrote :

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. The issue you are reporting is an upstream one and it would be nice if somebody having it could send the bug to the developers of the software by following the instructions at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/GNOME. If you have done so, please tell us the number of the upstream bug (or the link), so we can add a bugwatch that will inform us about its status. Thanks in advance.

Changed in gnome-settings-daemon (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → Low
Revision history for this message
Sebastien Bacher (seb128) wrote :

could be the same as bug #1153173

To post a comment you must log in.
This report contains Public information  
Everyone can see this information.
Subscribing...

Other bug subscribers

Remote bug watches

Bug watches keep track of this bug in other bug trackers.