Display Brightness not Adjustable

[Ben]

After upgrade to 14.04, display brightness is does no longer adjustable through system configuration.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+1ubuntu8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,imgpng,vpswitch,place,gnomecompat,move,mousepoll,resize,snap,grid,unitymtgrabhandles,wall,session,regex,animation,fade,workarounds,expo,scale,ezoom,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Mon Apr 28 21:45:36 2014
DistUpgraded: 2014-04-22 15:37:30,834 DEBUG enabling apt cron job
DistroCodename: trusty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 virtualbox, 4.3.10, 3.11.0-19-generic, x86_64: installed
 virtualbox, 4.3.10, 3.13.0-24-generic, x86_64: installed
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0116] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:9084]
MachineType: Sony Corporation VPCZ21C5E
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.13.0-24-generic root=/dev/mapper/volgrp0-vol1 ro splash quiet nomdmonddf nomdmonisw vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-04-22 (6 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 06/16/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: INSYDE
dmi.bios.version: R0170H5
dmi.board.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.board.name: VAIO
dmi.board.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.board.version: N/A
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnINSYDE:bvrR0170H5:bd06/16/2011:svnSonyCorporation:pnVPCZ21C5E:pvrJ004MG71:rvnSonyCorporation:rnVAIO:rvrN/A:cvnSonyCorporation:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: VPCZ21C5E
dmi.product.version: J004MG71
dmi.sys.vendor: Sony Corporation
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.11+14.04.20140409-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.52-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 10.1.0-4ubuntu5
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 10.1.0-4ubuntu5
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.8.2-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.3.0-1ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.910-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.10-1ubuntu2
xserver.bootTime: Sat Apr 26 16:17:49 2014
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:
 product id 37
 vendor MS_
xserver.version: 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Alex Shtof (alex-shtf)]

What do you mean by "not adjustable"? You do not have UI controls to adjust it? Or the UI controls that should adjust it just do nothing? If it is the 2nd option, then I have reported a duplicate (and have a work-around).

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg/+bug/1377351

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Ben, as per http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/content/cnt-dwnl/VPCZ21C5E/list an update to your computer's buggy and outdated BIOS is available (R0173H5). If you update to this following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BIOSUpdate does it change anything?

If it doesn't, 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

For more on BIOS updates and linux, please see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_reporting_etiquette .

Please note your current BIOS is already in the Bug Description, so posting this on the old BIOS would not be helpful. As well, you don't have to create a new bug report.

Once the BIOS is updated, and the information above is provided, then please mark this report Status New.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for xorg (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]