Fn+F5 and Fn+F6 doesn't modify brightness on Sony VAIO VGN-NW21MF (ATI Mobility 512MB)

[ssbastos]

Binary package hint: acpi-support

Pressing Fn+F5 and Fn+F6 doesn't modify brightness on Sony VAIO VGN-NW21MF.
notify-osd shows but the brightness bar on it does not increase or decrease, and the actual brightness on the screen won't change.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: acpi-support 0.134
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-21.32-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-21-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Apr 18 22:35:50 2010
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Beta amd64 (20100406.1)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: acpi-support

[ssbastos (bastos-sergio)]

I believe this bug could be related to bug id 568163 (brightness applet does not allow mouse clicks), which I just reported.

The brightness applet seems able to change brightness, but only through the use of the scrollwheel. If I attempt to change the brightness bar using mouse clicks the bar just disappears with no change to brightness.

[ssbastos (bastos-sergio)]

Also, don't know if this helps, but I have these scripts in /etc/acpi (they where put there by the ubuntu installation)

asus-brn-down.sh
asus-brn-up.sh
asus-touchpad.sh
asus-wireless.sh

and my laptop is clearly a sony vaio, not an asus...

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

Hi ssbastos,

If you could also please test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text. Please let us know your results.

Thanks in advance.

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

[ssbastos (bastos-sergio)]

Well, I installed kernel 2.6.34-999 (201004281008), but I didn't detected any improvement.

The laptop has the following hotkeys:
Fn-F2 - Mute - works
Fn-F3 - Decrease volume - works
Fn-F4 - Increase volume - works
Fn-F5 - Decrease brightness - notify-osd appears, but nothing changes
Fn-F6 - Increase brightness - notify-osd appears, but nothing changes
Fn-F7 - LCD/monitor switch - unable to test, but the Application Panel turns white for a few seconds when the keys are pressed
Fn-F9- Zoom Out - does not work, nothing happens
Fn-F10 - Zoom In - does not work, nothing happens
Fn-F12 - Hibernate - does not work, it corrupts the graphics display

Also, in addition to those hotkeys, there are also 3 special keys on the top right of the laptop.
WEB - maps internally to XF86HomePage - works by opening a new browser session.
MUTE - maps internally to XF86Launch1 - does not work, nothing happens
DISPLAY OFF - not mapped - although hotkey is not mapped internally, it works as expected as the LCD is turned off/on.

[jesus225 (jesus225)]

The same problem in a VGN-FW31ZJ

[Afro (amilan-inlogic)]

The same issue VPCEA1S1E

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

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.]

[Pierre Ferry (ferry-pierre)]

The same for my Sony VAIO VPCEA1S1E and:
acpi-support 0.136.1
Linux lucid 2.6.32-24-generic-pae #43-Ubuntu SMP Thu Sep 16 15:30:27 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux

[Pierre Ferry (ferry-pierre)]

the workaround found at
 http://vaioubuntu.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/lucid-brightness-control-progress/#comment-1067
works for me

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

The described workaround is clearly a change to the hal-info package, not to acpi-support. Reassigning.