Asus GL553VE laptop keyboard backlight uncontrollable and Fn keys not working

[Cabalbl4]

There are problems with Asus GL553VE laptop Fn buttons and keyboard backlight
1) Keyboard backlight uncontrollable
2) Most FN keys don't work

There is no way to control keyboard backlight at all (already tried all possible ways found in internet)

Missing /sys/class/leds/asus::kbd_backlight (asus-nb-wmi modprobed)

try all possible variants with acpi_osi and acpi_backlight from forum - no effect.

Install kernel 4.9 and even 4.10 latest RC - no effect (only got control over airplane led).

Keyboard backlight is always on or always off (last state from windows)
Fn keys not working:
F1(Zz Suspend) F2(Airplane) F3(Kb brightness down) F4(Kb brightness up) F5(Brightness down) F6(Brightness up) F7(Screen dim) F9(Touchpad disable)
Workjng: Sound Mute + - (F10 F11 F12)

Monitor backlight working fine by using menu slider.

Tested on open and proprietary drivers from latest ppas

lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS
Release: 16.04

Suggestion: asus-nb-wmi kernel module unable to detect hardware

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: linux-image-4.4.0-62-generic 4.4.0-62.83
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-62.83-generic 4.4.40
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-62-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.5
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: cabalbl4 1713 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Mon Feb 6 23:18:11 2017
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=6ab6365a-c88a-4e64-a529-83b6a9a70e4e
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-02-05 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 16.04.1 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160719)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 003: ID 8087:0a2a Intel Corp.
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0bda:57f5 Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
 Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0b05:1854 ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. GL553VE
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-62-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=18b6e8b1-63c2-4fb9-bdbb-5f9ffcc2d4cf ro quiet splash acpi_osi=Linux vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.4.0-62-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.4.0-62-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.157.6
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 11/08/2016
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: GL553VE.208
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: GL553VE
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.:bvrGL553VE.208:bd11/08/2016:svnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:pnGL553VE:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnGL553VE:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: GL553VE
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

This issue appears to be an upstream bug, since you tested the latest upstream kernel. Would it be possible for you to open an upstream bug report[0]? That will allow the upstream Developers to examine the issue, and may provide a quicker resolution to the bug.

Please follow the instructions on the wiki page[0]. The first step is to email the appropriate mailing list. If no response is received, then a bug may be opened on bugzilla.kernel.org.

Once this bug is reported upstream, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-reported-upstream'.

[0] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel

[Cabalbl4 (i-vohmin)]

Bug reported via mail to appropriate mail lists:
http://www.spinics.net/lists/platform-driver-x86/msg10489.html

There is no reply yet, how long to wait until opening it on bugzilla.kernel.org?

[Cabalbl4 (i-vohmin)]

As there was no answers from the mailing list created a bug report
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=194557

[shivang patel (patelshivang82)]

Same as above, I am facing same problems and in addition another problem is battery dry in very fast.

My System : Asus FX553VD laptop(intel i7-7700HQ, nvidia-1050)

Linux shivangpatel 4.10.11-041011-generic #201704180310 SMP Tue Apr 18 07:12:27 UTC 2017 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Keyboard backlight is always on.

Fn keys not working:
F1(Zz Suspend) F2(Airplane) F3(Kb brightness down) F4(Kb brightness up) F5(Brightness down) F6(Brightness up) F7(Screen dim) F9(Touchpad disable)

Fn keys working:
Sound Mute + - (F10 F11 F12)

Monitor backlight working fine by using menu slider(in setting).

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Please try 4.12-rc1 mainline kernel:

commit af22a610bc38508d5ea760507d31be6b6983dfa8
Author: Carlo Caione <email address hidden>
Date: Thu Apr 6 12:18:17 2017 +0200

    HID: asus: support backlight on USB keyboards

[raistlin (morinehtar-qwerty)]

GL753VE laptop, with 4.12-rc1 kernel:
Fn keys working: F1 (sleep), F2 (airplane), F5 (brightness down), F6 (brightness up), F9 (disable touchpad), F10, F11, F12 (sound mute, -, +)
Fn keys not working: F3 (keyboard backlight down), F4 (keyboard backlight up)

And cannot check F7 and F8

acpi_listen is silent for both F3 and F4

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

So you need to raise the question to linux-input mailing list.

[Cabalbl4 (i-vohmin)]

I have prepared a patch to original 4.12 kernel, which enables backlight/F3/F3 keys. It works on my GL553VE machine. All other buttons are working in 4.12.

The original patch is posted int the kernel topic https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=194557

The kernel with my changes and ubuntu patches can be found here (in case someone would like to test it):
https://cloud.mail.ru/public/9cjj/PygPkGrVq

[Shoumik Chowdhury (shoumikchow)]

Cabalbl4 (i-vohmin), make the changes to the official repository and send a pull request, please!

[Cabalbl4 (i-vohmin)]

Shoumik Chowdhury (shoumikchow), I'd rather not. This patch is nothing more than a model-dependent hack, which, most likely, will generate problems on non-Asus models. Maybe a good kernel module programmer can have a look there to make it work everywhere.

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

It's better to send a mail to Chris Chiu <email address hidden> and Carlo Caione <email address hidden>, they wrote the hotkey/brightness part for hid-asus.

[Shoumik Chowdhury (shoumikchow)]

It looks like they already fixed this issue in Kernel 4.12.

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=af22a610bc38508d5ea760507d31be6b6983dfa8

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Maybe this one?

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/jikos/hid.git/commit/?h=for-4.15/asus&id=832e1eeeba916b389c3ba090d8335aff3089428e

[R.Erol (leopard1907)]

Still not working , Asus FX553VD-DM160.

Kernel :4.14.0-041400-generic

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

R.Erol, please file a separate bug, thanks!

[R.Erol (leopard1907)]

I opened it , thanks!

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1732686

[Cabalbl4 (i-vohmin)]

Kernel 4.15 enables keyboard backlight control for me (GL553VE). No more kernel patching needed.

[Dark.Crow (d+rkcrow)]

Adding 'acpi_osi=' to /etc/default/grub solves it all for me, on an old Dell laptop, an old Compaq nx7400 and a quite new HP G2. This seem to fool the bios to think its a Windows OS.

Doing a 'sudo update-initramfs -u' and ' sudo update-grub' and a reboot makes it complete.

This back-light issue obviously happened back in 2008 .. old bug ;-)