[Gutsy] intel driver resets laptop brightness to highest mode after start, logout or video play

[unggnu]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg-video-intel

Sony laptop doesn't use standard acpi brightness so it isn't possible to change brightness with the brightness keys without sony-laptop module and the acpi-support script sonybright.sh. The brightness line of power management settings have no effect.
Sony-laptop has two sys values to change brightness. One for the current brightness (/sys/class/backlight/sony/brightness) and one (/sys/devices/platform/sony-laptop/brightness_default) for the brightness after restart or resume from suspend. Atm the default value isn't changed automatically which is reported at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.22/+bug/117331 but this is no problem since it is possible to change brightness_default value as root. To test this I have set both (current and default) to zero.
If I use new Intel driver the tft shows the highest brightness after gdm start but the sys brightness values haven't changed. If I press brightness increase key (decrease isn't possible because the lowest value is already used) brightness jumps from highest to the second lowest mode which is correct according to sys values but not according to real brightness. This isn't so hard but the same brightness reset to highest mode happens if I start a video, sdl or opengl game.
If I set both brightness values to 7 (the highest mode) I see no change of brightness after video play, logout or restart so Intel driver always resets to highest mode.
This doesn't happen with i810 driver so this seems to be a driver issue.
I am using a Sony Vaio TX2 Laptop with latest Gutsy.

[unggnu (unggnu)]

Btw. the same brightness reset happens if I switch to Console with ctrl + alt + f1 and back to X.

[Jarmo Ilonen (trewas)]

I am seeing the same bug on current gutsy with Thinkpad X41 when using intel driver, the brightness jumps to highest setting when playing a video or when going to console etc. With i810 driver this does not happen. While I do not the same laptop as the original reporter, the graphics controller seems to be identical:

From lspci:
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/PM/GMS/910GML Express Processor to DRAM Controller (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 03)

[Tharindu Dissanayake (tharindud-gmail)]

I get the same problem on Dell Inspiron 4600 with the intel driver on a 945MG controller.

From lspci:
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

[unggnu (unggnu)]

The fix from xserver-xorg-video-intel (2:2.1.1-0ubuntu5) seems to work. Many thanks.

[Sandeep Raja Rao (sandeep-rajarao-deactivatedaccount)]

I am using Gusty on Dell Inspiron 640 M

Immediately after logging in (on boot up) the brightness is increased.

I tried switching to console and back to GUI. No it does not happen

However while working suddenly the brightness automatically increases. I have to reduce it everytime this happens. Happens quite frequently.

In dmesg listing, I do not find the pattern VGA or lspci.

While searching for video only the following lines are displayed

 Boot video device is 0000:00:02.0
[ 1.504000] PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1c.0 to 64
[ 1.504000] assign_interrupt_mode Found MSI capability
[ 1.504000] Allocate Port Service[0000:00:1c.0:pcie00]
[ 1.504000] Allocate Port Service[0000:00:1c.0:pcie02]

In Fiesty Fawn this was not an issue at all

[unggnu (unggnu)]

Have you all latest updates for Gutsy?
Please run these commands in console and post the output here or save it in a file and upload it.
lspci
apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-video-intel

[Sandeep Raja Rao (sandeep-rajarao-deactivatedaccount)]

An update.

Tried resetting the settings System->Preferences->Power management.

After that it did not happen.

So immediately after upgrade, by default it is set 100% (brightness).

Sandeep

On 10/15/07, unggnu <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Have you all latest updates for Gutsy?
> Please run these commands in console and post the output here or save it
> in a file and upload it.
> lspci
> apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-video-intel
>
> --
> [Gutsy] intel driver resets laptop brightness to highest mode after start,
> logout or video play
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/139954
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[dennis1200 (dennis-fiser)]

I have this problem in Hardy Beta with an Intel 965GM video card (Intel X3100). My understanding about boot-time brightness is that it's a matter of not saving brightness settings when shutting down (a missing feature, not a bug). But I have the problem mentioned above where the brightness changes to max when playing a video. This seems to be a separate issue from booting up with maximum brightness, discussed in Bug 35223: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-power-manager/+bug/35223 and GNOME bug 335673: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=335673.

I can reproduce the bug with multiple applications (MPlayer, VLC, Xine) and multiple video types (FLV, AVI, OGM, MOV). I am not re-opening this bug, but directing you to https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-intel/+bug/201933 for further details (and a possible patch).

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