Lenovo X1 Carbon: Backlight brightness keys don't work any more

[Daniel van Vugt]

On the Lenovo X1 Carbon, the brightness/backlight hotkeys work fine in quantal. In Raring they don't. The OSD for the brightness control appears but never moves by more than about 10%.

This is only a problem with the hotkeys. I can still change the brightness properly in the Brightness & Lock panel. And I can change the brightness properly by writing to /sys/class/backlight/...

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: gnome-control-center 1:3.6.3-0ubuntu12
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-5.10-generic 3.8.0-rc6
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-5-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.8-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Feb 11 19:19:20 2013
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-02-11 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Alpha amd64 (20130209)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: gnome-control-center
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
usr_lib_gnome-control-center:
 activity-log-manager-control-center 0.9.4-0ubuntu6.1
 deja-dup 25.5-0ubuntu1
 gnome-control-center-signon 0.1.2bzr12.12.05-0ubuntu1
 gnome-control-center-unity 1.2-0ubuntu1
 indicator-datetime 12.10.3daily13.02.06-0ubuntu1

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Romi (theromi)]

I'm having exactly the same problem on my Lenovo Thinkpad X230.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

That's odd because my X220 still works fine with raring.

[Romi (theromi)]

That indicates it's an Ivy Bridge problem I suppose.

[Anmar Oueja (anmar)]

This is still a problem on the X1 carbon even with the latest BIOS update (v2.5) running Ubuntu 13.04. Please make sure it gets addressed in 13.04. I am happy to test.

[Lungten Wangchuk (lungten)]

I can confirm this on today's daily build as well. Lenovo ThinkPad T430.

[Steven Harms (sharms)]

I can confirm this also. xev picks up the correct key press events when I kill gsd, and echo 40 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness works as expected.

[Anmar Oueja (anmar)]

I heard there is a gnome big but I can't find it. Any idea?
On Mar 23, 2013 9:25 AM, "Steven Harms" <email address hidden> wrote:

> I can confirm this also. xev picks up the correct key press events when
> I kill gsd, and echo 40 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness
> works as expected.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1121951
>
> Title:
> Lenovo X1 Carbon: Backlight brightness keys don't work any more
>
> Status in “gnome-settings-daemon” package in Ubuntu:
> Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> On the Lenovo X1 Carbon, the brightness/backlight hotkeys work fine in
> quantal. In Raring they don't. The OSD for the brightness control
> appears but never moves by more than about 10%.
>
> This is only a problem with the hotkeys. I can still change the
> brightness properly in the Brightness & Lock panel. And I can change
> the brightness properly by writing to /sys/class/backlight/...
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
> Package: gnome-control-center 1:3.6.3-0ubuntu12
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-5.10-generic 3.8.0-rc6
> Uname: Linux 3.8.0-5-generic x86_64
> ApportVersion: 2.8-0ubuntu4
> Architecture: amd64
> Date: Mon Feb 11 19:19:20 2013
> InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-02-11 (0 days ago)
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Alpha amd64
> (20130209)
> MarkForUpload: True
> SourcePackage: gnome-control-center
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
> usr_lib_gnome-control-center:
> activity-log-manager-control-center 0.9.4-0ubuntu6.1
> deja-dup 25.5-0ubuntu1
> gnome-control-center-signon 0.1.2bzr12.12.05-0ubuntu1
> gnome-control-center-unity 1.2-0ubuntu1
> indicator-datetime 12.10.3daily13.02.06-0ubuntu1
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-settings-daemon/+bug/1121951/+subscriptions
>

[Steven Harms (sharms)]

I think this actually is a Linux kernel issue, not gnome-settings-daemon as far as I can see. This is the same bug: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=909737

[Steven Harms (sharms)]

Adding kernel package

[Anmar Oueja (anmar)]

You ate absolutely right. Thanks for findings the bug.
On Mar 23, 2013 2:10 PM, "Steven Harms" <email address hidden> wrote:

> I think this actually is a Linux kernel issue, not gnome-settings-daemon
> as far as I can see. This is the same bug:
> https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=909737
>
> ** Bug watch added: Red Hat Bugzilla #909737
> https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=909737
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1121951
>
> Title:
> Lenovo X1 Carbon: Backlight brightness keys don't work any more
>
> Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
> Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> On the Lenovo X1 Carbon, the brightness/backlight hotkeys work fine in
> quantal. In Raring they don't. The OSD for the brightness control
> appears but never moves by more than about 10%.
>
> This is only a problem with the hotkeys. I can still change the
> brightness properly in the Brightness & Lock panel. And I can change
> the brightness properly by writing to /sys/class/backlight/...
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
> Package: gnome-control-center 1:3.6.3-0ubuntu12
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-5.10-generic 3.8.0-rc6
> Uname: Linux 3.8.0-5-generic x86_64
> ApportVersion: 2.8-0ubuntu4
> Architecture: amd64
> Date: Mon Feb 11 19:19:20 2013
> InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-02-11 (0 days ago)
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Alpha amd64
> (20130209)
> MarkForUpload: True
> SourcePackage: gnome-control-center
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
> usr_lib_gnome-control-center:
> activity-log-manager-control-center 0.9.4-0ubuntu6.1
> deja-dup 25.5-0ubuntu1
> gnome-control-center-signon 0.1.2bzr12.12.05-0ubuntu1
> gnome-control-center-unity 1.2-0ubuntu1
> indicator-datetime 12.10.3daily13.02.06-0ubuntu1
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1121951/+subscriptions
>

[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 v3.9 kernel[0] (Not a kernel in the daily directory) and install both the linux-image and linux-image-extra .deb packages.

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.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc4-raring/

[Anmar Oueja (anmar)]

Hello Joseph. I have done what you asked. The issue is still there in 3.9-rc4

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Sorry, I can't test this bug any more. Got rid of the X1 Carbon.

[Anmar Oueja (anmar)]

On 25 March 2013 22:14, Daniel van Vugt <email address hidden> wrote:
> Sorry, I can't test this bug any more. Got rid of the X1 Carbon.

Does that mean it won't be validated any more?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The bug remains valid. And has 6 votes other than myself. It just means other people (like you Anmar) will have to do the testing as requested.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Can someone besides Daniel test the latest mainline kernel mentioned in comment #13?

[Anmar Oueja (anmar)]

Joseph:

I did what was asked of in cooment #13 and put the results in comment
#14. Hence the "confirmed" status you just undid.

[Romi (theromi)]

Just tested, the bug is still there.

-> % uname -a
Linux roman-ThinkPad-X230 3.9.0-030900rc4-generic #201303232035 SMP Sun Mar 24 00:36:21 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

I'd like to perform a bisect to figure out what commit caused this regression. It would be very helpful to know the earliest kernel where the issue started happening as well as the latest kernel that did not have this issue.

Can you test the following kernels and report back? We are looking for the first kernel version that exhibits this bug:

v3.6 final: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.6-quantal/
v3.7 final: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.7-raring/
v3.8-rc1: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.8-rc1-raring/

You don't have to test every kernel, just up until the kernel that first has this bug.

One thing to note, you will need to install both the linux-image and linux-image-extra .deb packages.

Thanks in advance!

[Romi (theromi)]

In http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.6-quantal/ it is working properly.

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.7-raring/ has the bug.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

We next need to identify the first v3.7 release candidate that introduced this bug.

Can you test the following kernels and report back:

v3.7-rc4: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.7-rc4-raring/

If v3.7-rc4 does not exhibit the bug then test v3.7-rc6:
v3.7-rc6: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.7-rc6-raring/

If v3.7-rc4 does exhibit the bug then test v3.7-rc2:
v3.7-rc2: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.7-rc2-raring/

[Romi (theromi)]

Both, v3.7-rc4 as well as v3.7-rc2, have the bug.

[Anmar Oueja (anmar)]

On 27 March 2013 16:55, Romi <email address hidden> wrote:
> Both, v3.7-rc4 as well as v3.7-rc2, have the bug.

Thanks for the effort Romi. drop me a line if you want me to help in
testing. I want this matter resolved just as much as you :)

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Can you perform on additional test. Can you test v3.7-rc1:
 http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.7-rc1-raring/

If v3.7-rc1 has the bug, I will bisect between v3.6 final and v3.7-rc1. If it does not have the bug, I'll bisect between v3.7-rc1 and v3.7-rc2.

[Romi (theromi)]

Of course, I'd like to help wherever I can.

Just tested v3.7-rc1, it has the bug.

[Andreas (andreas-9)]

I can also confirm this behaviour on a Lenovo T530 on the regular Raring installation.

[Julian Wiedmann (jwiedmann)]

This is very likely a duplicate of bug 1098216.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Yes, sounds exactly like bug 1098216. Assuming this is a duplicate for now.

[Nilesh (lvnilesh)]

This worked on roaring

sudo su
echo 40 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness