Starting up a virtual machine in a virtualbox changes the display brightness (again)

[Thomas Novin]

Bug #207676 is back. Is it correct to open a new bug or should the old bug be re-opened?

Original description (tweaked):

"If I start a virtual machine in VirtualBox OSE the brightness of the LCD panel gets adjusted to some low value."

$ apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-video-intel
xserver-xorg-video-intel:
  Installed: 2:2.2.1-1ubuntu13.4
  Candidate: 2:2.2.1-1ubuntu13.4
  Version table:
 *** 2:2.2.1-1ubuntu13.4 0
        500 http://se.archive.ubuntu.com hardy-updates/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2:2.2.1-1ubuntu12 0
        500 http://se.archive.ubuntu.com hardy/main Packages

[Thomas Novin (thomasn80)]

The problem actually seems to be something else now (as well). This also happens if I just reboot. After logging in my brightness is much too low.

[unggnu (unggnu)]

Please attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log, /etc/X11/xorg.conf and the output of >>apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-video-intel<<. Does the brightness change also happen if you open a video?

[unggnu (unggnu)]

Sorry, ignore the apt-cache policy. Do you know the driver version which worked last for you?

[Thomas Novin (thomasn80)]

No, no change when I start a video (tried with totem).

I don't know what exact version but I know that we all considered it fixed when I wrote this comment:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-intel/+bug/207676/comments/14

I will attach the log files asap.

[Thomas Novin (thomasn80)]

Right now after a clean reboot I was unable to reproduce the problem. I can see that I still run the same version of the driver though. Strange..

[unggnu (unggnu)]

If it happens again please test it with VLC or Mplayer. I had a similar problem, brightness reset after GDM or video player start but not with Totem. Please also attacht your /etc/X11/xorg.conf .

[John Thng (johnthng)]

Yes, I've experience the same problem with VLC, Mplayer, and vmware server.
Totem seems okay.

I'm suspecting its the intel driver for laptop graphics problem since it affects various applications.

[unggnu (unggnu)]

I had a similar problem (Bug #201933) but it was fixed. Maybe the fix interferes with your issue. If you still have the issue do the follow:
The easiest way is to install apt-src and then the Intel driver source package with >>apt-src install xserver-xorg-video-intel<< . Afterwards go to the directory ./xserver-xorg-video-intel-2.2.1/debian/patches and remove the file 16_legacy_backlight_blc_pwn_ctl.patch and the entry from the file series in the same folder. Than go back to the xserver-xorg-video-intel-2.2.1 directory and create the package with >>fakeroot dpkg-buildpackage<<. If it is completed just install the created Driver package with dpkg or a double click. After X restart check if the problem is gone.

[John Thng (johnthng)]

Sorry, I've tried your solution at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vlc/+bug/201933/comments/18
And it won't work for me. I wonder where does the problem lies.
Yes it load intel module, but problem unfortunately still exist.

My laptop is fujitsu T4210, not sure does it varies between models of laptop.

My chipset is 945GM, GMA950.

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)

Currently I'm back to the original hardy drivers ...
Not sure if there's any fixes, but the problem exist for long for the intel driver series version 2.

But it sure have some relationship with OpenGL.

[Thomas Novin (thomasn80)]

Could someone else than me provide xorg.conf. I cannot reproduce the issue and my xorg.conf is changed since I reported this issue.

[John Thng (johnthng)]

This is my xorg.conf
Upcoming attachments xorg log

[Thomas Novin (thomasn80)]

Changing from Incomplete > New because requested attachments has been uploaded..

[finifly (fini-fly)]

I had this problem with Kubuntu 8.10 host with the following kernels:

2.6.24-17-generic
2.6.24.19-generic

This problem went away with 2.6.24-18-generic so I've been using that kernel for the time being.

[unggnu (unggnu)]

Can anyone confirm that it works with the -18 Kernel? If so it is most likely a kernel issue and should be reassigned.

[finifly (fini-fly)]

I can confirm even though I previous said it was working (two posts up). The issue seems to be very sporadic for all three kernels.

I reverted back to -19 and reinstalled xserver-xorg-video-intel and it seems to be less sporadic. It still happens, but I can usually suspend my laptop, wake it up, and then there is no brightness issue.

[Tim Richardson (tim-richardson)]

I filed a bug report which was marked as a duplicate of this one.
I can easily reproduce the problem on my toshiba by running

xset dpms force on

In the case of my machine, this causes the backlight to go to max brightness (can also see the bug by blanking the screen via a lid close and then reopen it, and I can cause it by starting a virtual machine. I stop the problem by blacklisting the video module.

ie adding a line to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
This is perhaps the best workaround. I can still adjust brightness via the laptop hotkeys, but no system events changes the backlight level. There are no other adverse affects of blacklisting the module.

Now I will investigate the driver recompile option.

[Tim Richardson (tim-richardson)]

driver recompile (removing that patch) makes no difference

[Tim Richardson (tim-richardson)]

Also filed to http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=490302 where detailed log files can be found since reportbug attaches them automatically.

[Tim Richardson (tim-richardson)]

This is a weird bug.
On my machine, I discovered that I can predict that brightness level change by using xbacklight.
I don't know how xbacklight works, but it does not follow the brightness changes I get when pressing hotkeys.
But the value of backlight brightness that xbacklight reports is always the brightness level that is set when
a) starting a virtual machine
b) restoring the screen after closing and opening the lid
c) doing xset dpms force on

Also, if the backlight hotkeys changed backlight brightness via xbacklight, then there would be no bug.

xbacklight needs to be installed from synaptic.

-----

I have 8 levels of brightness, so my first steps in % are 0, 14, 29

via the hotkeys, I make the display 100% bright

# xbacklight -get
0.000000
: so it doesn't know the screen has changed

# xbacklight -set 10

: no change; the backlight stays at 100%

#xbacklight -set 20
: the backlight dims to the second lowest level (that is, it goes to level 14%)
#xbacklight -get
14.285714

again, use the hotkeys to go to 100%. Then ...
#xbacklight -get
14.285714

#xbacklight -set 20
doesn't do anything

but
#xbacklight -set 50
#xbacklight -set 20
does get my back to the second level.

alternatively, I can do
xset dpms force on

because this always forces the backlight to be the same value as xbacklight -get; it overrides whatever setting the user has chosen via the hotkeys.
Or to put it another way, however xbacklight works does not update itself when the user changes the backlight with the hotkeys.

and here is the link to the original bug report:
the brightness level that you get by starting a virtual machine is the same as you get by xset dpms force on
That is, you can always predict the brightness level you will get when starting a virtualbox-ose virtual machine by first checking
xbacklight -get

[Tim Richardson (tim-richardson)]

I have now come to a workaround that I am happy with.

I still have acpi enabled, and I no longer get backlight resetting.

You can see the details here (which is of course for my Toshiba)

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dgd53r6d_36hqmmh4hn&hl=en

Meanwhile, upstream says this bug is probably fixed in the coming xserver release, which I think means it will probably not be ported back to Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy. Debian Sid already shows better behaviour than Hardy on my Toshiba, although I only get four levels of backlight brightness from Sid.

[Tim Richardson (tim-richardson)]

Upstream
http://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=16680

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Okay, sounds like this will be fixed once the xserver in Debian's experimental enters Ubuntu.

[Tim Richardson (tim-richardson)]

For what it's worth, on that toshiba laptop, I'm now running Debian Lenny, although I took kernel 2.6.26 when it was still only in Sid. With this kernel, no problems with the backlight. Lenny has xserver versions pretty similar to Hardy, so I think the kernel may be the source of the problem.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

It would be great if you could confirm that on ubuntu with an older kernel. In any case, with Jaunty now open we'll be merging the new xserver in fairly soon, so hopefully this issue should go away at that point.

[Tim Richardson (tim-richardson)]

Bryce,
Hi. Sometime ago I changed my Ubuntu installations for Debian Lenny.
Even three months ago, this fixed the problems with Virtualbox, and also
with some suspend resume issues. I strongly suspect that the 2.6.24
kernel of Hardy was the problem; since I moved to Debian I've been using
2.6.26. I doubt there is much difference in the xserver versions between
Lenny and Hardy.

I'll download a live CD of Intrepid when it's ready, to finally confirm.
regards
Tim

On Thu, 2008-11-06 at 23:19 +0000, Bryce Harrington wrote:
> It would be great if you could confirm that on ubuntu with an older
> kernel. In any case, with Jaunty now open we'll be merging the new
> xserver in fairly soon, so hopefully this issue should go away at that
> point.
>

[Thomas Novin (thomasn80)]

I have to unsubscribe because I bought a new laptop and the new one has an nvidia-GPU..

[Johan (joh07)]

Hi,

I have a Compaq Presario with Intel GM965/GL960, running Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid. When booting, resuming after suspend, or switching terminals with <alt>+<ctrl>+<Fx>, the monitor brightness increases to max. When removing the video module with "modprobe -r video", the screen brightness stays constant when switching terminals. I don't suspect the video module, as I have compiled kernel 2.6.25.7 with this video module before on Gutsy and screen brightness was stable. The brighness indicator showed up when adjusting brightness with the hotkeys. Now with the original Intrepid kernel 2.6.27-7-generic, the brighness indicator showed up a few times, but not anymore. Attached is my very simple xorg.conf file:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Device"
        Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Default Screen"
        Monitor "Configured Monitor"
        Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[This is an automatic notice.]

We'd like to forward your bug upstream, however upstream requires
that you first test it against their newer driver code.

To save you the effort of building the driver from source, we've built
packages for the driver and its new dependencies.

So you have a couple options:

 1. Download and test .debs for intrepid, from:
     https://edge.launchpad.net/~intel-gfx-testing/+archive

 -or-

 2. Download and test the Jaunty alpha-2 (or newer) Live CD,
     (which includes a beta of the new xserver 1.6 as well).
     See http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/9.04/ for ISOs

Thanks ahead of time! You can simply reply to this email to report your
findings.

P.S., if you wish to forward your bug upstream yourself, please follow
these directions to do so:
  http://intellinuxgraphics.org/how_to_report_bug.html

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.

[costales (costales)]

Hi,
This is happening me in Ubuntu MATE 16.04.2 with guest additions from repository or from CD.
But only happens with Marco Compton GPU compositor, not with other Marcos.
Thanks in advance!