Asus brightness keys only toggle between the lowest two levels

Bug #224636 reported by Iago
12
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux (Ubuntu)
Expired
Medium
Unassigned

Bug Description

I've been trying to get this problem fixed for about 3 days and nobody knows how to fix this. Hopefully you can help me. My brightness won't do anything but be REALLY REALLY dark, and be averagely dim, and I can toggle this by hitting fn+f7. Normally, like on Vista (if you can call that normal) fn+f6 or fn+f5 would toggle my brightness. ALL of my other function keys (volume, media, toggle scr lk, etc.) are working. So it's weird. I know someone else has this problem but aren't being as annoying about it as I am.

What I have already tried:
-gamma control with "displaycalibrator"

-the tutorial "howto" here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=767374 which is the same as the ubuntu geek method, when I hit fn+up, my music player stops playing, fn down, it pauses/plays. That's how it normally works in Windows, so it probably isn't mapping the brightness over the normal function.

-The "ugly hack" described in http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...ght=brightness
^ Im not sure why that doesn't work, it just doesn't...

-One thing I'd like to try (it seemed bright, but I was in a bright room) was I entered the gnome power management config(I forgot the command! It's something like gkconfig?) So I need to be reminded of that enter-gnomeconfig-command...

-The brightness applet on the panel does nothing.

- I was suggested on ubuntuforums to do the following:
CODE
iago@NISUS:~$ echo 'for i in /sys/class/backlight/*/brightness; do echo 10 > $i; done' > brightness
iago@NISUS:~$
iago@NISUS:~$ chmod +x brightness
iago@NISUS:~$
iago@NISUS:~$ sudo ./brightness
iago@NISUS:~$ brightness
/usr/local/bin/brightness: line 1: /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness: Permission denied
/usr/local/bin/brightness: line 1: /sys/class/backlight/asus-laptop/brightness: Permission denied
Brightness set to
iago@NISUS:~$ sudo brightness
Brightness set to
iago@NISUS:~$ sudo brightness 10
Brightness set to 10
iago@NISUS:~$ sudo brightness 1
Brightness set to 1
iago@NISUS:~$ sudo brightness 1000
Brightness set to 1000
iago@NISUS:~$
iago@NISUS:~$

CODE

And it doesn't change my brightness. Secondly, one problem with what the previous guy gave me is there is no /sys/class/backlight/brightness, on my laptop it goes /sys/class/backlight/asus-laptop/brightness, there's also /max-brightness, and other tings in asus-laptop. I cant even open it in gedit, though. The little documents in my asus-laptop brightness do change with his commands, but it doesn't effect my brightness

-I found an application called "monitor settings" but it doesnt work. It gives me the following error: "No monitor supporting DDC/CI available. If your graphics card need it, please check all the required kernel modules are loaded (12c-dev, and your framebuffer driver).

-I am getting nauseous, I have to strain to read the screen because it's so dark

Revision history for this message
Iago (dasquirrel715) wrote :

I am using ubuntu 8.04 on an Asus m50 sv, NVIDIA Geforce 9500M GS

Revision history for this message
trollord (trollenlord) wrote :

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Unfortunately we can't fix it, because your description didn't include enough information.

Please include the information requested at [WWW] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingACPI as separate attachments.

Revision history for this message
Iago (dasquirrel715) wrote :
Download full text (23.1 KiB)

Version: 207
Output of uname -a: Linux NISUS 2.6.24-16-generic #1 SMP Thu Apr 10 13:23:42 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux
Output of sudo lspci -vvnn:
  Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=55mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
  Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
 Capabilities: [60] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable-
  Address: 0000000000000000 Data: 0000
 Capabilities: [70] Express Unknown type IRQ 0
  Device: Supported: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, ExtTag-
  Device: Latency L0s <64ns, L1 <1us
  Device: Errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
  Device: RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+
  Device: MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
  Link: Supported Speed unknown, Width x0, ASPM unknown, Port 0
  Link: Latency L0s <64ns, L1 <1us
  Link: ASPM Disabled CommClk- ExtSynch-
  Link: Speed unknown, Width x0

00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 [8086:283f] (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
 Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
 Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
 Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=02, sec-latency=0
 I/O behind bridge: 0000a000-0000afff
 Memory behind bridge: fdf00000-fdffffff
 Secondary status: 66MHz- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- <SERR- <PERR-
 BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR+ NoISA- VGA- MAbort- >Reset- FastB2B-
 Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+) IRQ 0
  Device: Supported: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, ExtTag-
  Device: Latency L0s unlimited, L1 unlimited
  Device: Errors: Correctable+ Non-Fatal+ Fatal+ Unsupported+
  Device: RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-
  Device: MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
  Link: Supported Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Port 1
  Link: Latency L0s <256ns, L1 <4us
  Link: ASPM Disabled RCB 64 bytes CommClk+ ExtSynch-
  Link: Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1
  Slot: AtnBtn- PwrCtrl- MRL- AtnInd- PwrInd- HotPlug+ Surpise+
  Slot: Number 32, PowerLimit 10.000000
  Slot: Enabled AtnBtn- PwrFlt- MRL- PresDet- CmdCplt- HPIrq-
  Slot: AttnInd Unknown, PwrInd Unknown, Power-
  Root: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- PME-
 Capabilities: [80] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable+
  Address: fee0300c Data: 41d1
 Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Unknown device [1043:1705]
 Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 2
  Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
  Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

00:1c.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 3 [8086:2843] (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
 Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B-
 Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
 Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
 Bus: primary=00, secondary=03, subordinate=04, sec-latency=0
 I/O behind bridge: 0000b000-0000bfff
 Memory behind bridge: fe000000-fe7fffff
 Prefetchable ...

Revision history for this message
Iago (dasquirrel715) wrote : I believe it's fixed

I downloaded NVIDIA server control from the add/remove application and it has settings for brightness!

Revision history for this message
Iago (dasquirrel715) wrote : Re: Brightness Bug, not like all the others!

No, no its not

Revision history for this message
rogosh (rogosh55) wrote :

i have the same laptop. exact same problem. its driving me crazy. is this just a problem in 8.04 or is it alright in 7.10?

Revision history for this message
x6x6x6x (alexanenkovad) wrote :

Here is workaround for M50Sv and maybe other laptop controled by asus-laptop driver

This is compilation from http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=38935
Copy files from attached file to corresponding directories

Enables ASUS Light Sensor switching
/etc/acpi/events/asus-ctrl-a
/etc/acpi/asus-ls-switch.sh

Brightness control scripts (working with ASUS Light Sensor enabled)
/etc/acpi/asus-brn-up.sh
/etc/acpi/asus-brn-down.sh

Script that saves settings for ASUS Light Sensor
/etc/init.d/asus-ls
/etc/asus-ls.conf

run
sudo update-rc.d asus-ls defaults

and
sudo /etc/init.d/acpid restart

If Brightness down key doesn't work
change first line of /etc/acpi/events/asus-brightness-down
to this
event=hotkey ATKD 0000002[0123456789abcdef]

Sorry for my English

Revision history for this message
x6x6x6x (alexanenkovad) wrote :

It is Fn+a not Ctrl+a in my previous post

Revision history for this message
Zuzkins (zuzkins-gmail) wrote :

 x6x6x6x's proposed solution really works.
Both brightness up and down keys are working after copying attached files to their location in /etc

Thanks

Revision history for this message
Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara) wrote :

The Ubuntu Kernel Team is planning to move to the 2.6.27 kernel for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. As a result, the kernel team would appreciate it if you could please test this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. There are one of two ways you should be able to test:

1) If you are comfortable installing packages on your own, the linux-image-2.6.27-* package is currently available for you to install and test.

--or--

2) The upcoming Alpha5 for Intrepid Ibex 8.10 will contain this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. Alpha5 is set to be released Thursday Sept 4. Please watch http://www.ubuntu.com/testing for Alpha5 to be announced. You should then be able to test via a LiveCD.

Please let us know immediately if this newer 2.6.27 kernel resolves the bug reported here or if the issue remains. More importantly, please open a new bug report for each new bug/regression introduced by the 2.6.27 kernel and tag the bug report with 'linux-2.6.27'. Also, please specifically note if the issue does or does not appear in the 2.6.26 kernel. Thanks again, we really appreicate your help and feedback.

Revision history for this message
x6x6x6x (alexanenkovad) wrote :

This issue remains in current Intrepid Ibex release.
Brightness keys works only with light sensor disabled:
echo 0 > /sys/devices/platform/asus-laptop/ls_switch

Revision history for this message
x6x6x6x (alexanenkovad) wrote :

#acpi_listen

echo 0 > /sys/devices/platform/asus-laptop/ls_switch

...Brightness down key
video LCDD 00000087 00000000

...Brightness up key
video LCDD 00000086 00000000

echo 1 > /sys/devices/platform/asus-laptop/ls_switch

...Brightness down key
hotkey ATKD 0000002e 00000001

hotkey ATKD 0000002d 00000001

hotkey ATKD 0000002c 00000001

hotkey ATKD 0000002b 00000001

hotkey ATKD 0000002a 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000029 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000028 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000027 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000026 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000025 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000024 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000023 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000022 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000021 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000020 0000000b

hotkey ATKD 00000020 0000000c

...Brightness up key
hotkey ATKD 00000011 00000000

hotkey ATKD 00000012 00000000

hotkey ATKD 00000013 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000014 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000015 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000016 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000017 00000002

hotkey ATKD 00000017 00000003

hotkey ATKD 00000018 00000001

hotkey ATKD 00000019 00000001

hotkey ATKD 0000001a 00000001

hotkey ATKD 0000001b 00000001

hotkey ATKD 0000001c 00000001

hotkey ATKD 0000001d 00000001

hotkey ATKD 0000001e 00000001

hotkey ATKD 0000001f 00000004

Changed in linux:
assignee: nobody → ubuntu-kernel-team
importance: Undecided → Medium
status: Incomplete → Triaged
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote : Kernel team bugs

Per a decision made by the Ubuntu Kernel Team, bugs will longer be assigned to the ubuntu-kernel-team in Launchpad as part of the bug triage process. The ubuntu-kernel-team is being unassigned from this bug report. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeamBugPolicies for more information. Thanks.

Revision history for this message
Scott Howard (showard314) wrote : Re: Brightness Bug, not like all the others!

Information from duplicate bug #368506:

1) This bug exists in Karmic Alpha 2 (see #5 below)

2) I just newly installed Ubuntu 9.04 on my Asus B80A Laptop. There I got a problem with the display brightness setting. During the bootup the display gets a lot darker and when I enter the Desktop the function keys only work between an almost black setting and a very dark one. With the brightness applet all brightness settings can be accessed (though there is heavy flickering involving during the change of brightness)

3) This happens on my Asus x5dij, too.
However, i think the issue with the brightness-keys has nothing to do with gnome-power-manager, since I incidentally discovered a workaround (see bug #399675).
Also, setting the brightness by writing to /sys/devices/virtual/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness works perfectly.
I assume the flickering occurs because before every brightness change the value is first set to the darkest and then to the desired one.

4) the work around: A workaround is unloading/reloading the "video" kernel module, but
after this the brightness-changing-OSD doesn't appear anymore and I
guess there may be other issues, at least it's not the elegant way ;)

5) On karmic alpha 2 the flickering is the same. The brightness keys are reacting but both keys randomly do nothing (but flickering) or switch with the following behaviour:
Using the "brightness up" key I randomly get the darkest or the almost-brightest setting.
With the "brightness down" key I get the brightest or almost-darkest setting.
The OSD always displays one of those values belonging to the keys, but not necessarily the current one.
After booting I get an error window saying "Internal error - failed to initialize HAL"

summary: - Brightness Bug, not like all the others!
+ Asus brightness keys only toggle between the lowest two levels
Revision history for this message
Stefan Kriwanek (Divan) (dev-stefankriwanek) wrote :

I gathered the standard information about my asus x5dij laptop

Revision history for this message
Stefan Kriwanek (Divan) (dev-stefankriwanek) wrote :

My x5dij laptop has no light sensor like the asus m50.

I've done the 'debugging' Scott Howard suggested in bug #368506, first without restarting video kernel module.

keyevents reported by xev:

keycode 232 = (keysym 0x1008ff03, XF86MonBrightnessDown), state = 0x0
keycode 232 = (keysym 0x1008ff03, XF86MonBrightnessDown), state = 0x0

keycode 233 = (keysym 0x1008ff02, XF86MonBrightnessUp), state = 0x0
keycode 233 = (keysym 0x1008ff02, XF86MonBrightnessUp), state = 0x0

I think this is what's supposed to be. Though in contrast to e.g. the letter keys, both events are reported instantly and not on key down/key up. That's the case with all Fn+ - keys.

The events reported by acpi_listen are a bit strange:
key brightness up produces:
video LCDD 00000086 00000000
hotkey ATKD 00000011 0000007e
and brightness down:
video LCDD 00000087 00000000
hotkey ATKD 00000020 000000fa
for the brightness down key, every press that is precedes by the same keypress produces two hotkey-events:
video LCDD 00000087 00000000
hotkey ATKD 00000020 000000fb
hotkey ATKD 00000020 000000fc
That's not the case for brightness up.

Over all I suppose this can't be our problem. So it may be a gnome-power-manager problem.

The command
dbus-monitor --session "type='signal',interface='org.freedesktop.PowerManagement.Backlight'"
produces output only for the brightness down-key:

signal sender=:1.25 -> dest=(null destination) serial=102 path=/org/freedesktop/PowerManagement/Backlight; interface=org.freedesktop.PowerManagement.Backlight; member=BrightnessChanged
   uint32 0

And the output of gnome-power-manager --verbose --no-daemon is in the attached file. I inserted some blank lines between my keypresses.

Revision history for this message
Stefan Kriwanek (Divan) (dev-stefankriwanek) wrote :

After reloading the video module, the behaviour changes to the following (beside brightness keys working):

xev doesn't report the keyevents anymore.

acpi_listen only produces ATKD events, and obviously the right ones showing change of brightness over the whole scale:
hotkey ATKD 00000020 0000005d
hotkey ATKD 00000020 0000005e
hotkey ATKD 00000020 0000005f
hotkey ATKD 00000020 00000060
hotkey ATKD 00000011 0000000b
hotkey ATKD 00000012 0000000a
hotkey ATKD 00000013 00000009
hotkey ATKD 00000014 00000007
hotkey ATKD 00000015 00000005
hotkey ATKD 00000016 00000003
hotkey ATKD 00000017 00000002
hotkey ATKD 00000018 00000002
hotkey ATKD 00000019 00000002
hotkey ATKD 0000001a 00000001
hotkey ATKD 0000001b 00000001
hotkey ATKD 0000001c 00000001
hotkey ATKD 0000001d 00000001
hotkey ATKD 0000001e 00000001
hotkey ATKD 0000001f 00000005
hotkey ATKD 0000001f 00000006
hotkey ATKD 0000001f 00000007
hotkey ATKD 0000001f 00000008
hotkey ATKD 0000002e 00000001
hotkey ATKD 0000002d 00000001
hotkey ATKD 0000002c 00000001
hotkey ATKD 0000002b 00000001
hotkey ATKD 0000002a 00000001
hotkey ATKD 00000029 00000001
hotkey ATKD 00000028 00000002
hotkey ATKD 00000027 00000002
hotkey ATKD 00000026 00000002
hotkey ATKD 00000025 00000003
hotkey ATKD 00000024 00000005
hotkey ATKD 00000023 00000007
hotkey ATKD 00000022 00000009
hotkey ATKD 00000021 0000000a
hotkey ATKD 00000020 00000061
hotkey ATKD 00000020 00000062
hotkey ATKD 00000020 00000063

dbus-monitor doesn't show any output and gnome-power-manager --verbose --no-daemon doesn't either.

Revision history for this message
Stefan Kriwanek (Divan) (dev-stefankriwanek) wrote :

Okay, it's got nothing to do with gnome-power-manager. Tested with kde that behaves the same.

Revision history for this message
Scott Howard (showard314) wrote :

Thanks for your work, Divan!
Since you have a different bug than reported here, please open a new bug report against the linux in Ubuntu, and include the debugging information you have posted here. I'm keeping the original report a duplicate since the duplicate original reporter's bug so far follows the behavior described here.

Revision history for this message
Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee) wrote :

This bug report was marked as Triaged a while ago but has not had any updated comments for quite some time. Please let us know if this issue remains in the current Ubuntu release, http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download . If the issue remains, click on the current status under the Status column and change the status back to "New". Thanks.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

tags: added: kj-triage
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Triaged → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee) wrote :

This bug report was marked as Incomplete and has not had any updated comments for quite some time. As a result this bug is being closed. Please reopen if this is still an issue in the current Ubuntu release http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download . Also, please be sure to provide any requested information that may have been missing. To reopen the bug, click on the current status under the Status column and change the status back to "New". Thanks.

[This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

tags: added: kj-expired
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Expired
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