8086:0116 [Acer Aspire 5755G] Screen brightness not adjusting via hotkeys

[Adam Niedling]

I'm using a freshly installed Saucy x64. When I press fn+left/right arrow keys the brightness of the screen doesn't change and there is no bar appearing on the top right corner indicating the change in brightness.
This laptop has two video cards: nVidia 540M and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000.
If the nVidia card is disabled in BIOS the top right bar appears but the brightness still does not change.
ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: krychek 2147 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: krychek 2147 F...m pulseaudio
CurrentDmesg:

WORKAROUND: I'm able to adjust the brightness after adding the acpi_backlight=vendor kernel parameter.

DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=5dc00776-6f67-42d1-9985-15bf84510b70
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-10-30 (3 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
MachineType: Acer Aspire 5755G
MarkForUpload: True
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcFB:
 0 inteldrmfb
 1 nouveaufb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-12-generic root=UUID=d4c46cde-ec44-4da4-b4ec-a67f7b892126 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-12.19-generic 3.11.3
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.11.0-12-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.11.0-12-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.116
Tags: saucy
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-12-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
dmi.bios.date: 08/09/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Acer
dmi.bios.version: V1.21
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: JV51_HR
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: Base Board Version
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.version: V1.21
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAcer:bvrV1.21:bd08/09/2012:svnAcer:pnAspire5755G:pvrV1.21:rvnAcer:rnJV51_HR:rvrBaseBoardVersion:cvnAcer:ct10:cvrV1.21:
dmi.product.name: Aspire 5755G
dmi.product.version: V1.21
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.3 kernel[1] (Not a kernel in the daily directory). Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag(Only that one tag, please leave the other tags). 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.

If this bug is fixed by the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream-KERNEL-VERSION'. For example, if kernel version 3.3-rc2 fixed the issue, the tag would be: 'kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.3-rc2'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

I tested it with the latest kernel and it still doesn't work.

$ uname -a
Linux ultraviolence 3.3.0-030300rc2-generic #201201311735 SMP Tue Jan 31 22:36:50 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

I reported this bug upstream: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=42777

[Tim (tzakharov)]

I've been affected by this bug in Ubuntu 10.04 and now Xubuntu 12.04. So this bug has existed at least since kernel 2.6. I have an Acer Aspire 7736Z laptop. The Fn-left/right arrow keys do bring up the sun icon and the brightness slider moves onscreen when I make like adjusting it, but the physical brightness never changes.

There is a workaround in Ubuntu Forums that involves adding this kernel parameter:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" acpi_backlight=vendor

Perhaps this could also be passed upstream to help them fix it in future releases...

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

It's already passed upstream if you take a look at it.

Are you sure it's: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" acpi_backlight=vendor
and not: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash acpi_backlight=vendor" ??

For me the latter one works.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

The issue is still present in Ubuntu 13.04.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

I just tested it with Ubuntu 13.10 (Kernel 3.11.0-12-generic x64) and the issue is still present. I don't see the point of testing it with 3.12 rc7 since there hasn't been any activity upstream since the last 6 months.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

$ sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date
V1.21
08/09/2012

My BIOS seems up-to-date to me, that's why I've removed the bios-outdated tag.
I will try the upstream kernel later.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

$ uname -a
Linux ultraviolence 3.12.0-031200rc7-generic #201310271935 SMP Sun Oct 27 23:37:06 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Adjusting the brightness still does not work.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

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[penalvch (penalvch)]

Adam Niedling, if you disable the nvidia card in BIOS, and uninstall bumblebee, does it allow you to adjust the brightness?

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

Christopher: I'm not using Bumblebee anymore. I tried to disable the nvidia card in BIOS but adjusting the brightness still does not work. However the brightness bar got visible in the top right corner when I'm trying to adjust it. There is no bar with the nvidia card enabled.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Adam Niedling, continuing to keep the nvidia card in the BIOS disabled, could you please provide the missing information following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/Debugging/Backlight ?

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

I'm able to adjust the brightness after adding the acpi_backlight=vendor kernel parameter.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

"echo 8 > /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness" does change the backlight.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

I'm NOT able to adjust the brightness after adding the video.use_bios_initial_backlight=0 kernel parameter.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

It's working in Ubuntu 15.10!