Powerdevil brightness OSD does not display if laptop_panel.brightness_in_hardware = true

[Zorael]

Binary package hint: kdebase-workspace

If the hal property laptop_panel.brightness_in_hardware is set to true, Powerdevil doesn't display the brightness OSD when changing it via brightness keys or via the panel applet. This was introduced in 4:4.3.2-0ubuntu7, whose changelog follows;

    kdebase-workspace (4:4.3.2-0ubuntu7) karmic; urgency=low

      * Update kubuntu_101_brightness_fn_keys_and_osd.diff to use the same OSD as
        kmix (LP: #458963):
        - Reverts the addition of an untranslated string
        - Reduces U/I impact of this late change
        - Updated patch thanks to Felix Geyer

     -- Scott Kitterman <email address hidden> Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:09:50 -0400

    kdebase-workspace (4:4.3.2-0ubuntu6) karmic; urgency=low

      * Add kubuntu_101_brightness_fn_keys_and_osd.diff to enable brightness
        Fn keys when they aren't handled by the hardware and add an OSD
        for brightness changes

     -- Felix Geyer <email address hidden> Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:19:34 +0200

The kubuntu_101_brightness_fn_keys_and_osd.diff patch added in 4:4.3.2-0ubuntu6 fixed brightness behavior overall on this machine, as it required Powerdevil to be aware of laptop_panel.brightness_in_hardware to not cause strange behavior upon changing brightness (see https://www.launchpad.net/bugs/458963).

When forcing said hal property to false (in fdi files), the OSD shows, but then the weird brightness behavior obviously returns.

[Zorael (zorael)]

Second link points wrong, text should be; "it required Powerdevil to be aware of laptop_panel.brightness_in_hardware to not cause strange behavior upon changing brightness (see #415023)."

(It spawns an error message upon trying to modify the description; "Entity-body was not a well-formed JSON document.")

[Sergio Cambra (sergio-ensanjose)]

I have this bug too. When I use fn keys to adjust brightness in a tty, brightness is adjusted correctly. However, when I use them in KDE brightness is changed three times, unless I stop powerdevil. Without running powerdevil, brightness is adjusted right, but no OSD is displayed.

If I set laptop_panel.brightness_in_hardware to true, brightness is adjusted right with powerdevil running too, but I don't get the OSD.

[Sergio Cambra (sergio-ensanjose)]

I forgot to add, I have to restart powerdevil if I change laptop_panel.brightness_in_hardware with hal-set-property

[Felix Geyer (debfx)]

This has been fixed by the following upload:

kdebase-workspace (4:4.4.2-0ubuntu11) lucid; urgency=low

  [ Harald Sitter ]
  * Add kubuntu_04_fix_kickoff_model_loading.diff by Felix Geyer to fix
    Kickoff's model loading, which caused stuff to randomly disappear from
    the computer tab (also see KDE Bug 232901)

  [ Jonathan Riddell ]
  * Add kubuntu_119_krandrtray_radio_menu_items.diff from Aurelien
    Gateau, backport from trunk, use radio buttons in krandrtray, fixes
    support with dbusmenu
  * Update kubuntu_101_brightness_fn_keys_and_osd.diff with newer patch
    by Felix Geyer
    http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.kde.devel.core/64489

[Giuseppe Pennisi (giupenni78)]

In my SonyVAIO Laptop VPCEB1J1E, with this fix, Powerdevil shows the brightness OSD when press Fn keys but it not increases or decreases the brightness (works correctly via the panel applet) and the progress bar in OSD remains stationary.

[Giuseppe Pennisi (giupenni78)]

I forgot to mention that works correctly in Ubuntu Lucid.

[Alessandro Ghersi (alessandro-ghersi)]

Reopened, it seems the problem persist in many/all Sony Vaio

[Felix Geyer (debfx)]

There is nothing PowerDevil can do about this. It should be fixed in the kernel.
As a workaround brightness_in_hardware can be set to true (hal-info package).

[Giuseppe Pennisi (giupenni78)]

>It should be fixed in the kernel.
But, why it work in Ubuntu?

>As a workaround brightness_in_hardware can be set to true (hal-info package).
Sorry, but I not understand. Can you explain better this workaround? Thanks. :-)

Thank you very much.

[Felix Geyer (debfx)]

> But, why it work in Ubuntu?
It works in Ubuntu because gnome-power-manager uses a different backend (randr instead of hal).

> Sorry, but I not understand. Can you explain better this workaround? Thanks. :-)
Could you please post the output of "lshal | grep system.hardware" on your system.
I'll try to get the workaround included in hal-info.

[Giuseppe Pennisi (giupenni78)]

> But, why it work in Ubuntu?
>It works in Ubuntu because gnome-power-manager uses a different backend
>(randr instead of hal)
>
Ok, I understod. Thanks!!!

$ lshal | grep system.hardware
  system.hardware.primary_video.product = 70 (0x46) (int)
  system.hardware.primary_video.vendor = 32902 (0x8086) (int)
  system.hardware.product = 'VPCEB1J1E' (string)
  system.hardware.serial = '27524450-5001362' (string)
  system.hardware.uuid = '2028BAAF-4BD7-DD11-8B87-0024BEBEE1D4' (string)
  system.hardware.vendor = 'Sony Corporation' (string)
  system.hardware.version = 'C603XXUX' (string)

I have already added in /usr/share/hal/fdi/information/10freedesktop/10-laptop-panel-hardware.fdi this code:
      <match key="/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer:system.hardware.vendor" prefix_ncase="Sony">
        <match key="/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer:system.hardware.product" contains_outof="VPCEB1J1E">
          <merge key="laptop_panel.brightness_in_hardware" type="bool">true</merge>
        </match>
      </match>

But I don't know if I did the right thing.

Thank you.

[Felix Geyer (debfx)]

Sorry, I meant you need to set brightness_in_hardware to false.

[Giuseppe Pennisi (giupenni78)]

Ok, if set brightness_in_hardware to false it work fine.
Since this problem is present in many\all SonyVAIO Laptop, this workaround can be included in hal-info?
For example matching this at "hardware.vendor = Sony" indipendently by a specific model?
By me I can confirm that this issue afflicts the E and S series (and I think F serie too) but reading many forum this problem afflict many\all SonyVAIO Laptop.

Thank you for great work!

[Felix Geyer (debfx)]

I don't think we can just match all sony laptops. We need someone to actually confirm it for each model, otherwise we might introduce regressions (e.g. the brightness is increased by 2 steps when pressing the fn keys).

[Giuseppe Pennisi (giupenni78)]

Ok, I understand.
I can confirm that form my model VPCEB1J1E this workaround work.
Can we hope to remove HAL in Lucid+1? :-)

[Nicola Menegazzi (pugacioff83)]

I can confirm that this workaround works for model VPCS11F7E too. Thanks a lot!

[Rolf Kutz (vzsze)]

I see this bug in KDE-4.5.3 from Backports on 10.04. It does display the OSD when pressing the brightness function keys, but it doesn't change the brightness.