battery indicator does not show battery remaining

[Ashutosh]

I have recently installed the ubuntu 12.04 desktop edition to test it out. Previously, I had ubuntu 10.10 32 bit on my machine but there were some bugs like boot time bugs and same bug as I am presenting here.
Actually, the battery indicator does not show the battery remaining. It just indicate it as "not present". After some time, the battery just does off and laptop just crashes.
Had anyone has gone threw this bug or have this bug been solved?

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: xorg 1:7.6+12ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-23.36-generic-pae 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-23-generic-pae i686
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu5
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,snap,mousepoll,resize,place,move,wall,grid,regex,imgpng,session,gnomecompat,animation,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,workarounds,scale,expo,ezoom,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Tue Apr 24 05:43:12 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: bcmwl, 5.100.82.38+bdcom, 3.2.0-23-generic-pae, i686: installed
ExtraDebuggingInterest: I just need an easy workaround
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0046] (rev 12) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device [1025:0359]
 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Madison [Radeon HD 5000M Series] [1002:68c1] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device [1025:0359]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Beta i386 (20120421)
MachineType: Acer Aspire 4820TG
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_IN:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_IN
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-23-generic-pae root=UUID=0f7da8ad-fabe-489f-a74c-62f2e3d775f7 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 04/28/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: INSYDE
dmi.bios.version: V1.10
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: ZQ1B
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.board.version: Base Board Version
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacturer
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnINSYDE:bvrV1.10:bd04/28/2010:svnAcer:pnAspire4820TG:pvrV1.10:rvnAcer:rnZQ1B:rvrBaseBoardVersion:cvnChassisManufacturer:ct10:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: Aspire 4820TG
dmi.product.version: V1.10
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.6-0ubuntu1
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.32-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Tuomas Suutari (tuomas-suutari)]

From the bug description:
> Actually, the battery indicator does not show the battery remaining. It just indicate it as "not present".

I have this same symptom on my Acer Aspire One A110 with Ubuntu 12.04. This started after one of the latest kernel updates week or two weeks ago. So earlier 12.04 was fine, and also 11.10.

Here's some intresting info from the sysfs while the panel says "not present":

tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/manufacturer
SIMPLO
tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/model_name
UM08A71
tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/technology
Li-ion
tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/present
1
tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/charge_full
65532000
tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/charge_full_design
2200000
tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/charge_now
cat: /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/charge_now: No such device
tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/current_now
0
tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/voltage_now
11650000
tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/voltage_min_design
11100000
tuomas@pandaone:~ $ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/status
Unknown

The most interesting one is the charge_now reporting "No such device".

Is this really a bug in xorg? Seems like a kernel bug to me...

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[Not an X issue. Silly bots.]

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Patrick Santos (milljudgement+ubuntu)]

Assigning it to kernel for now... Looks like acpi.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.4kernel[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 in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

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.

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4-rc7-precise/

[Tuomas Suutari (tuomas-suutari)]

There was no 3.4.0-rc7 image, so I tried with rc6 package:
linux-image-3.4.0-030400rc6-generic_3.4.0-030400rc6.201205061835_i386.deb

The bug is still present there.

[Tuomas Suutari (tuomas-suutari)]

Seems that this is not a kernel bug after all... Sorry for wasting your time!

While testing the new kernel I also decided to test with the older ones too to make sure that the problem was caused by a kernel upgrade in the first place.

I tried with mainline 3.2.9, since the problem first appeared after I upgraded from ubuntu kernel 3.2.0-18.29 (based on mainline 3.2.9) to newer one. And the bug existed there too. Then I thought that maybe I just did not notice the problem earlier and tried with mainline version 3.0.20 which was the kernel that ubuntu kernel 3.0.0-16.29 (in Oneiric) was based on. Same results: bug exists.

So I concluded that the problem is broken battery. It probably broke at the same time that I upgraded from 3.2.0-18.29 and therefore I made wrong conclusions then... sorry..

If Ashutosh has a similar problem, it's probably not related to my problem... What should be done with this bug?

[xenoson (xenoson)]

Hi Tuomas,

it seems that your broken battery is coincidence.
I reported this problem a while ago:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/889942

And it is still present in 12.04.
My Laptop ran Hardy for years without this issue and I upgraded straight to 11.10, so it might also be with earlyer releases.

But the kernel goes to:
$ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/voltage_now
14791000
$ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/current_now
cat: /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/current_now: Kein passendes Gerät gefunden
$ cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT1/voltage_now
10000000

minutes after reboot and I'm pretty shure Hardy's wouldn't, as also the other OS shows the battery just fine.

The voltage_now value above is wrong, the panel showed a 100% battery whereas it was around 50% judged from runtime and the seemingly correct print with win.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Ashutosh, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO CD images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please do not test the kernel in the daily folder, but the one all the way at the bottom. 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. As well, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested.

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

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', and comment as to why specifically you were unable to test it.

Please let us know your results. Thanks in advance.

Helpful Bug Reporting Links:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_Reporting_Etiquette
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#A3._Make_sure_the_bug_hasn.27t_already_been_reported
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Adding_Apport_Debug_Information_to_an_Existing_Launchpad_Bug
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Adding_Additional_Attachments_to_an_Existing_Launchpad_Bug