Screen brightness does not change

[Alex Shtof]

When I try to change the screen brightness using my Laptop's keyboard it shows me a "bar" that the screen brightness changes. However, the actual brightness does not change.

If I tell the computer to change the brightness, then disconnect the charger, close the lid, wait a few seconds and re-open the lid the screen's actual brightness changes to the last one I set.

This work-around works for me, but it is very annoying. If all I want to do is reduce brightness to save power I also need to make my computer sleep and wake it up again so that the brightness is applied. I do not have the immediate feedback to see if it is bright enough for my environment.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+1ubuntu8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-36.63-generic 3.13.11.6
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-36-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 331.38 Wed Jan 8 19:32:30 PST 2014
 GCC version: gcc version 4.8.2 (Ubuntu 4.8.2-19ubuntu1)
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.5
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDesktop: GNOME
Date: Sat Oct 4 08:50:59 2014
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: trusty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation GK107GLM [Quadro K1000M] [10de:0ffc] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:21f6]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-03-27 (190 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-GNOME 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Beta amd64 (20140326.1)
MachineType: LENOVO 24382HU
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.13.0-36-generic root=/dev/mapper/ubuntu--gnome--vg-root ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/15/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: G5ET99WW (2.59 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 24382HU
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Defined
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrG5ET99WW(2.59):bd05/15/2014:svnLENOVO:pn24382HU:pvrThinkPadW530:rvnLENOVO:rn24382HU:rvrNotDefined:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 24382HU
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad W530
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.52-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 10.1.3-0ubuntu0.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 10.1.3-0ubuntu0.1
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2.1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.8.2-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.3.0-1ubuntu3.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.910-0ubuntu1.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.10-1ubuntu2
xserver.bootTime: Fri Oct 3 17:05:56 2014
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors: open /dev/fb0: No such file or directory
xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:

xserver.version: 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2.1

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Alex Shtof, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. As per http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-w-series-laptops/thinkpad-w530 an update to your computer's buggy and outdated BIOS is available (2.61). 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.]