Support for Ambient Light Sensor in ASUS Zenbook UX301LAA

[Vasya Pupkin]

On a wiki page related to ASUS Zenbook (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AsusZenbookPrime) there is a note about Ambient Light Sensor:

===
Ambient light sensor: They keycode to use is 248, that is "fn"+"A", the icon on the "A" is a sensor with lightrays and the text auto. Doesn't work by default, because a driver exists but it's not included in kernel source. Need testing. Bug is reported. You can, however, use an external application to make it work: https://github.com/danieleds/Asus-Zenbook-Ambient-Light-Sensor-Controller.
===

According to referenced bug report (https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=70421), the bug is fixed long time ago. Can we have this sensor supported at last?

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
Package: linux-image-3.19.0-16-generic (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-18.18-generic 3.19.6
Uname: Linux 3.19.0-18-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.17.2-0ubuntu1.1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/pcmC1D0p: shadowlmd 2252 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: shadowlmd 2252 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA:
 country EU: DFS-UNSET
  (2402 - 2482 @ 40), (N/A, 20), (N/A)
  (5170 - 5250 @ 40), (N/A, 20), (N/A)
  (5250 - 5330 @ 40), (N/A, 20), (0 ms), DFS
  (5490 - 5710 @ 40), (N/A, 27), (0 ms), DFS
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Jun 4 16:21:13 2015
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=4faf8732-5100-4612-80b9-4d6f4fb8b384
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-05-06 (28 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.04 "Vivid Vervet" - Release amd64 (20150422)
MachineType: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. UX301LAA
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-18-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=b9c815db-e4fe-4e08-8d62-0c68991fa8be ro quiet splash rootfstype=ext4 pcie_aspm=force acpi_osi= vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.19.0-18-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.19.0-18-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.143.1
SourcePackage: linux
UdevLog: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/udev'
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 05/08/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: UX301LAA.209
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: UX301LAA
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrUX301LAA.209:bd05/08/2014:svnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:pnUX301LAA:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnUX301LAA:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: UX301LAA
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Vasya Pupkin, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. 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.

[Vasya Pupkin (shadowlmd)]

This article is way too complex for me, I'm sorry. If you have a bootable USB drive image I could use to test new kernel, I'd be glad to use it.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Vasya Pupkin (shadowlmd)]

This bug is still present in Ubuntu 15.10 with kernel 4.2.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Vasya Pupkin (shadowlmd)]

I couldn't find a newer kernel for wily in http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/, how can I test it?

[Vasya Pupkin (shadowlmd)]

I tested with latest available mainline kernel (Linux version 4.3.0-040300-generic (kernel@gomeisa) (gcc version 5.2.1 20151010 (Ubuntu 5.2.1-22ubuntu2) ) #201511020949 SMP Mon Nov 2 14:50:44 UTC 2015). Nothing changed. Still no support for ambient light sensor. Pressing Alt-A results in a syslog message:

Nov 18 23:10:49 zenbook kernel: [ 249.631210] asus_wmi: Unknown key 7a pressed

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Vasya Pupkin, could you please provide the results of the following terminal command:
usb-devices

[Vasya Pupkin (shadowlmd)]

T: Bus=01 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=480 MxCh= 9
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0002 Rev=04.03
S: Manufacturer=Linux 4.3.0-040300-generic xhci-hcd
S: Product=xHCI Host Controller
S: SerialNumber=0000:00:14.0
C: #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=03 Cnt=01 Dev#= 12 Spd=12 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=e0(wlcon) Sub=01 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=8087 ProdID=07dc Rev=00.01
C: #Ifs= 2 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=100mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=e0(wlcon) Sub=01 Prot=01 Driver=btusb
I: If#= 1 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=e0(wlcon) Sub=01 Prot=01 Driver=btusb

T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=04 Cnt=02 Dev#= 3 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=ef(misc ) Sub=02 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=1bcf ProdID=2987 Rev=11.25
S: Manufacturer=SunplusIT INC.
S: Product=HD WebCam
S: SerialNumber=HF1019-P85A-SN01-REV0100
C: #Ifs= 2 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=500mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=0e(video) Sub=01 Prot=00 Driver=uvcvideo
I: If#= 1 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=0e(video) Sub=02 Prot=00 Driver=uvcvideo

T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=06 Cnt=03 Dev#= 4 Spd=12 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=03eb ProdID=8a0c Rev=10.99
S: Manufacturer=Atmel
S: Product=Atmel maXTouch Digitizer
C: #Ifs= 2 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=100mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=usbhid
I: If#= 1 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=usbhid

T: Bus=02 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=5000 MxCh= 4
D: Ver= 3.00 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=03 MxPS= 9 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0003 Rev=04.03
S: Manufacturer=Linux 4.3.0-040300-generic xhci-hcd
S: Product=xHCI Host Controller
S: SerialNumber=0000:00:14.0
C: #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

T: Bus=03 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#= 1 Spd=480 MxCh= 2
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0002 Rev=04.03
S: Manufacturer=Linux 4.3.0-040300-generic ehci_hcd
S: Product=EHCI Host Controller
S: SerialNumber=0000:00:1d.0
C: #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

T: Bus=03 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#= 2 Spd=480 MxCh= 8
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 1
P: Vendor=8087 ProdID=8000 Rev=00.04
C: #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Vasya Pupkin, the issue you are reporting is an upstream one. Could you please report this problem following the instructions verbatim at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel to the appropriate venue (TO Jonathan Cameron, Hartmut Knaack, Lars-Peter Clausen, and Peter Meerwald CC linux-iio)?

Please provide a direct URL to your newly made report when it becomes available so that it may be tracked.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Vasya Pupkin (shadowlmd)]

Why did you add tag "bios-outdated-211"? According to ASUS website (http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/ASUS_ZENBOOK_UX301LA/HelpDesk_Download/), 211 is the latest version of BIOS.

As for reporting bug, I'm not familiar with all this stuff.. Maybe you can report this bug and I'll provide all information you need?

[Vasya Pupkin (shadowlmd)]

I updated my BIOS long time ago.

$ sudo dmidecode -s bios-version
UX301LAA.211

[Vasya Pupkin (shadowlmd)]

So just in case, yes, the problem is reproducible with latest BIOS version and comment #12 is made with the latest BIOS installed.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Vasya Pupkin:
>"Maybe you can report this bug and I'll provide all information you need?"

As I don't have the hardware, I'm unable to report this.

[Vasya Pupkin (shadowlmd)]

I wonder if this will ever be fixed. Bugs like this is what turns people away from Ubuntu because no one seems to be able to help. I am not a linux geek, so I came here and reported a bug. I don't know how and what to report upstream, and I don't even know how that work. I found a page on your wiki related to a promlem: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AsusZenbookPrime, it states that the problem is related to a kernel bug that WAS FIXED a long time ago. So why the heck the ambient light sensor still not working? Can someone who has a clue look into this issue? If this is a kernel issue, I must at least have a proof before reporting it upstream. Show me how to check that kernel doesn't support something.