Thinkpad x200t backlight settings

[EricDHH]

ubuntu 15.04 AMD64

Howto reproduce this bug that did not exist up to ubuntu 14.10

Set your required backlight power with the Fn-Keys and shutdown the machine. Now bootup again, the login screen and your desktop is on lowest backlight power that can be set, maybe you have to lower the light to see your display. You have to power the backlight up with the Fn-Keys after login., but this will not survive next shutdown.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+7ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-16.16-generic 3.19.3
Uname: Linux 3.19.0-16-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.17.2-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu May 14 11:00:23 2015
DistUpgraded: 2015-04-25 23:23:28,368 DEBUG enabling apt cron job
DistroCodename: vivid
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 tp-smapi, 0.41, 3.13.0-49-generic, x86_64: installed
 tp-smapi, 0.41, 3.16.0-34-generic, x86_64: installed
 tp-smapi, 0.41, 3.19.0-15-generic, x86_64: installed
 tp-smapi, 0.41, 3.19.0-16-generic, x86_64: installed
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:20e4]
   Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:20e4]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-09-17 (238 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140722.2)
MachineType: LENOVO 7453WVK
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-16-generic root=UUID=dbb1913f-e1d6-42eb-b68f-221fd8326a6b ro quiet splash elevator=deadline vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to vivid on 2015-04-25 (18 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 11/16/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 7WET61WW (3.11 )
dmi.board.name: 7453WVK
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr7WET61WW(3.11):bd11/16/2009:svnLENOVO:pn7453WVK:pvrThinkPadX200T:rvnLENOVO:rn7453WVK:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 7453WVK
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad X200T
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.12.1+15.04.20150410.1-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.60-2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 10.5.2-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 10.5.2-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.17.1-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.9.0-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.5.0-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917-1~exp1ubuntu2.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.11-1ubuntu2build1
xserver.bootTime: Thu May 14 10:56:56 2015
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.outputs:
 product id 16401
 vendor LEN
xserver.version: 2:1.17.1-0ubuntu3

[EricDHH (ericdhh)]

The bios can only be lifted up to 3.17, if the machine got an original Lenovo battery for 150 bucks. So i can only point that this bug did not occur under 14.04 LTS. The system was reverted to Ubuntu Mate 15.04 now and show the same behaviour, screen brightness turns to highest or lowest at boot. Last state was not saved like in earlier ubuntu versions.

[EricDHH (ericdhh)]

I can try the cd method the next days. ThinkVantage did not work, because there is an SSD in the system and no more the original harddisk with the bios and recovery partitions.

BUT the same bug occurs on my Ideapad S10-2. Set proper brightness when logged in, simply log out and log in again, while the desktop appear the backlight jumps to full power. Maybe this is a Lenovo smapi bios related problem.

[EricDHH (ericdhh)]

Okay the bios was updated to 3.21 and ecp to 1.06, for luck the battery seems to have the right security chip and is accepted by the new ecp. But as explained here is the warning from a 3.22 tester and his battery.

http://thinkpad-forum.de/archive/index.php/t-152969.html

The brightness bug still exists. It did not appear when booting a live 14.04 LTS system on the machine.

ThinkVantage buttons did nothing, not a laptop start, not at bios and not within ubuntu. The required hidden service partition does not exist on my ssd, there is a way to repair but for what is it needed without windows?

 https://ideasmiths.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/solution-to-lost-thinkvantage-button-access-to-hidden-parition-in-thinkpad/

[EricDHH (ericdhh)]

eric@antigone:~$ sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
[sudo] password for eric:
7WET71WW (3.21 )
11/29/2012

[penalvch (penalvch)]

EricDHH, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available from the very top line at the top of the page (the release names are irrelevant for testing, and please do not test the daily folder) following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue.

If the test did not allow you to test to the issue (ex. you couldn't boot into the OS) please make a comment in your report about this, and continue to test the next most recent kernel version until you can test to the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon, next to the word Tags, located at the bottom of the report description:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Where XY and Z are numbers corresponding to the kernel version.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Please note, an error to install the kernel does not fit the criteria of kernel-bug-exists-upstream.

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results.

Thank you for your understanding.

[EricDHH (ericdhh)]

This bug can be solved by revert the computer to 14.04LTS, this has worked for the Thinkpad as also for the Ideapad. Both computers start with the same brightness level as at last shutdown. So i'm out now and can't do further investigations.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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