Problems with the Display-Brightness on Asus z71v

[Thomas Reuss]

Binary package hint: hotkey-setup

Hi,

I am using Hardy Heron Beta (all available updates installed), and I am experiencing several problems related to acpi and brightness-settings on an ASUS-based Notebook:
    "Wortmann Terra Aura 8300", aka ASUS z71v (Intel Centrino, Pentium M, nVidia GeForce Go 6600)

1. The hotkeys to in-/decrease the display-brightness don't work at all.
    After some research and some reading, I managed to enable the hotkeys partially: The gnome-notification showed up, but it had no effect -
    the brightness wouldn't change at all.
    I added the following lines to the file /usr/share/hotkey-setup/asus.hk

      setkeycodes e005 $KEY_BRIGHTNESSDOWN # Brightness down button
      setkeycodes e006 $KEY_BRIGHTNESSUP # Brightness up button

2. It's impossible to switch off the ambient light sensor
    This makes the notebook unusable in darker environments.

3. There seems to be bigger trouble with acpi on ASUS notebooks:
    $ cat /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCDD/brightness
    <not supported>
    $ cat /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCDD/EDID
    <not supported>
    $ cat /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCDD/info
    device_id: 0x0110
    type: UNKNOWN
    known by bios: no
    $ cat /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCDD/state
    state: 0x1f
    query: 0x01

Some dmidecode-output:
# dmidecode --string system-manufacturer
wortmann
# dmidecode --string system-product-name
M7V
# dmidecode --string system-version
1.0
# dmidecode --string bios-version
0212

Thanx in advance!!

[Terrax (tball-es)]

I got exact same problem with the Asus M50SA. When ACPI is activated, I can't adjust brightness with my FN + F5 and FN + F6. Neither I can't adjust my brightness with ACPI off with the FN keys.

# dmidecode --string system-manufacturer
ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
# dmidecode --string system-product-name
dmidecode --string system-product-name
# dmidecode --string system-version
1.0
# dmidecode --string bios-version
202

OS:
Linux ***** 2.6.24-16-generic #1 SMP Thu Apr 10 13:23:42 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux
Hardy beta, fully upgraded.

Got the same acpi output as Thomas Reuss.

BTW every other FN functions works proberly.

Need more information, plz reply. I will check back here often :-)

Thx

[Terrax (tball-es)]

Pasted something wrong.

# dmidecode --string system-product-name
M50SA

[Thomas Reuss (thomas-reuss)]

Hi,

I forgot to mention, that setting the display brightness manually works fine from within the BIOS.

Thomas

[Terrax (tball-es)]

I found a way to change brightness.. We have do make root aktive at first (Couldn't get it to work with sudo).

Do this:
#sudo passwd root "Now type in a password you like"
#su root
#cd /sys/devices/platform/asus-laptop
#echo 10 > ls_level

Now your brightness should start to light up. If you wan't to disable the light sensor, type:
#echo 0 > ls_switch

I hope this will help the developers changing the "brightness scripts", so it will work with newer laptops.

Anybody know where I can change it manually?

[Thomas Reuss (thomas-reuss)]

Hi Terrax,

thanx for the hint!!

It actually works fine without creating a root user:
$ sudo su -
# cd /sys/devices/platform/asus-laptop
# echo 10 > ls_level
# echo 0 > ls_switch

At least I am now able to change the brightness even if in a not very comfortable way.

Best regards,
Thomas

[iceman2k (katkiller)]

Hi,

I've got nearly the same problem on my asus S37S laptop since I've update to hardy.

in fact some multimedia keys doesn't work, or partialy work, the brightness works but the osd icon under gnome doesn't work.

the internet browser doesn't work at all
some button like display battery level, wireless power on/off, doesn't work too, and can't even be afect to a shortcut.

all button works before under gusty.

[iceman2k (katkiller)]

I've forget to output some dmidecode output :

root@kaeina:~# dmidecode --string system-product-name
S37S
root@kaeina:~# dmidecode --string system-manufacturer
To Be Filled By O.E.M.
root@kaeina:~# dmidecode --string system-product-name
S37S
root@kaeina:~# dmidecode --string system-version
1.0
root@kaeina:~# dmidecode --string bios-version

[martin (martin-madera)]

root@lc2000:~# dmidecode --string system-product-name
M7V
root@lc2000:~# dmidecode --string system-manufacturer
ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
root@lc2000:~# dmidecode --string system-product-name
M7V
root@lc2000:~# dmidecode --string system-version
1.0
root@lc2000:~# dmidecode --string bios-version
0210

same problems as described by other posters -- by default the laptop screen is really dim (on AC power!), the brightness keys / brightness applet don't work, the solution is to echo 10 into ls_level

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

Is this symptom still reproducible in 8.10 or 9.04?

[Terrax (tball-es)]

It is.

Running intrepid, and I still have to: echo 0 > ls_switch to use my brightness keys.

I think it is a bug in the light switch thing (Light sensor)

[Thomas Reuss (thomas-reuss)]

Yes. It is still reproducible in 8.10
echo 0 > ls_switch does the trick for me, too.

On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 04:45, Daniel T Chen <email address hidden> wrote:
> Is this symptom still reproducible in 8.10 or 9.04?
>
> ** Changed in: hotkey-setup (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> Problems with the Display-Brightness
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/210453
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[Terrax (tball-es)]

This bug is still found in Jaunty. Does anyone know when it will get fixed?

[Darlan Cavalcante (darcamo)]

Same problem here with an Asus M70V.
If I disable the light sensor I can change the brightness with Fn+F5 and Fn+F6. Even the brightness applet in the panel works. Also, I have noticed that the brightness changes in discrete steps. However, the command
echo SomeNumber > ls_level
has no effect.

On the other hand, if the light sensor is enabled I cannot change the brightness with the Fn keys or use the applet. But the command
echo SomeNumber > ls_level
works and the brightness is changed in a continuous way (smoothly), which is how it behaves on windows.

Hence, it seems that there is some kind of conflict. Two pieces of software responsible for the same functionality: changing the LCD brightness.
Ideally, the Fn keys should change the brightness with the light sensor on in the smooth way.

[Evertjan Garretsen (egarretsen)]

the lightsensor is almost working correctly on my ASUS x56TR notebook using Karmic.

I can adjust the brightness using te FN F5 en F6 keys, without any problem.
I can adjust the brightness using the brightness aplet in the panel without any problem.

The problem i experience is that when the screen gets dimmed (brightness is lowerd due to light environment) the brightness applet still says that brightness is 100%, in fact it is only 50% or so. I enclosed a screenshot showing the brightness of my screen is dimmed while brightness applet says it is full brightness.

3 questions:

1 can the applet be adjusted so that when the screen is dimmed the applet also says the screen is dimmed and not 100% bright
2 The screen gets to dark for me a lot of times working in a bright environment (daylight). The sensor dimms to much. Maybe the sensitivity should be adjustable?
3 Is it not possible to add an easy option somewhere (perhaps in the brightness adjust aplet) to disable the light-sensor?

[Evertjan Garretsen (egarretsen)]

The lightsensor is almost working correctly on my ASUS x56TR notebook using Karmic.

I can adjust the brightness using te FN F5 en F6 keys, without any problem.
I can adjust the brightness using the brightness aplet in the panel without any problem.

The problem i experience is that when the screen gets dimmed (brightness is lowered due to light environment) the brightness applet still says that brightness is 100%, in fact it is only 50% or so. I enclosed a screen-shot showing the brightness of my screen is dimmed while brightness applet says it is full brightness.

3 questions:

1 can the applet be adjusted so that when the screen is dimmed the applet also says the screen is dimmed and not 100% bright
2 The screen gets to dark for me a lot of times working in a bright environment (daylight). The sensor dims to much. Maybe the sensitivity should be adjustable?
3 Is it not possible to add an easy option somewhere (perhaps in the brightness adjust applet) to disable the light-sensor?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for hal (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]