[Dell Precision M6700] Can't adjust brightness with function keys(Fn+up/down)

[TienFu Chen]

System: Dell Precision M6700
There're brightness mark on the up/down key which implying user should adjust brightness via Fn combination.
No reaction from showkey when pressing Fn+up/down.
(it's ok to adjust brightness in Setting/Brightness and Lock)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.5.0-23-generic 3.5.0-23.35~precise1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-23.35~precise1-generic 3.5.7.2
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-23-generic x86_64
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.25.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.1
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: ubuntu 1467 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7e30000 irq 46'
   Mixer name : 'IDT 92HD93BXX'
   Components : 'HDA:111d76df,1028053f,00100203'
   Controls : 20
   Simple ctrls : 10
Date: Wed Mar 13 04:56:02 2013
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=d764ac7b-d914-4ca3-804c-47b3fd11c5f5
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20130213)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Precision M6700
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB:
 0 inteldrmfb
 1 nouveaufb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-23-generic root=UUID=28ea201f-e1b7-497c-afd1-0406dc3b4e97 ro quiet splash initcall_debug vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.5.0-23-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.5.0-23-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79.1
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/03/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A04
dmi.board.name: 011BL2
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: X03
dmi.chassis.type: 9
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA04:bd09/03/2012:svnDellInc.:pnPrecisionM6700:pvr01:rvnDellInc.:rn011BL2:rvrX03:cvnDellInc.:ct9:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Precision M6700
dmi.product.version: 01
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Sasha Malo (malo-sasha)]

I have the same issue, however brighness & lock settings don't work for me either. Everything was working fine in 12.10. I also try to play with acpi_backlight=vendor and similar grub/kernel options without success.

[Anthony Wong (anthonywong)]

This bug was met before and had been fixed twice by BIOS updates, not sure why it cropped up again but I think it's worth to update the BIOS once again to A08 [1], as this version mentions "brightness control" in its changelog.

[1] http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/04/DriverDetails/Product/precision-m6700?driverId=1PP25&fileId=3166260455

[Sasha Malo (malo-sasha)]

I m on A09, you mean i should downgrade ?

[Po-Hsu Lin (cypressyew)]

201205-11042 Revisited, with the 12.04.2 stock image, the brightness key will stop working after suspend.
However, after the nVidia proprietary driver was installed, the brightness key works normally before and after suspend.

BIOS version A04

[Sasha Malo (malo-sasha)]

Hi the problem seems to be resolved for me after upgrading BIOS to A10 version

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Tim Chen, as per http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/19/Product/precision-m6700 an update is available for your BIOS (A10). If you update to this, does it change anything?

If not, could you please both specify what happened, and provide the output of the following terminal command:
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date

Thank you for your understanding.

[Po-Hsu Lin (cypressyew)]

Hello,
after discussed with Ara, since this issue works with proprietary drivers
and according to Sasha's comment #7 says that it works also with BIOS A10.

I'll change the bug status into Invalid, please feel free to re-open it if you have doubts.