brightness hotkeys don't work as expected, asus ul30a

[KlavKalashj]

1) Ubuntu Lucid Lynx beta 1, fully updated
2) Don't know the package name
3) Brightness goes up or down, depending on which button I press (fn+f5 or f6)
4) Brightness moves in random direction a couple of times, then stop responding

This worked perfectly in Karmic, afaik it's broken since alpha3 (that's when I upgraded).

[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

In case that the original submission is unclear, here's my situation in UL30A-A2.

Expected behaviour:
fn+f5 lowers brightness, fn+f6 increases brightness. (worked well in Karmic)

Observed behaviour, in Lucid Beta 1:
Initially, when the computer is first booted, it responds to f5/f6 but in random behaviour.
For example, if I press fn+f5, it would lower the brightness, then increase it to the maximum, repeat a couple times, and back to somewhat random value somewhere in between.
After the initial reaction, fn+f5/f6 key no longer causes any change in brightness - for a couple minutes. For this period, acpi_listen does not seem to print out anything when these keys are pressed.
After a couple minutes, these button presses seem to "queue up" and cause random changes to the brightness again - acpi_listen reports these values.

video LCDD 00000087 00000000
hotkey ATKD 00000025 00000017
video LCDD 00000087 00000000
hotkey ATKD 00000025 00000018
video LCDD 00000086 00000000
hotkey ATKD 0000001b 00000005
hotkey ATKD 0000001b 00000006
video LCDD 00000086 00000000
hotkey ATKD 00000021 00000001
video LCDD 00000087 00000000
hotkey ATKD 0000002b 00000008
hotkey ATKD 0000002b 00000009
video LCDD 00000086 00000000
hotkey ATKD 00000021 00000002
video LCDD 00000087 00000000
hotkey ATKD 0000002b 0000000a
hotkey ATKD 0000002b 0000000b
video LCDD 00000086 00000000
hotkey ATKD 00000021 00000003

Changing the brightness manually with xbacklight shows similar behaviour - random changes, or periods of no change.
Using Gnome-power-manager's brightness control slider behaves the same way.

[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

Attached is a snippet from dmesg that is hopefully useful for the devs.?field.comment=Attached is a snippet from dmesg that is hopefully useful for the devs.

[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Beta i386 (20100318)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. UL30A
Package: udev 151-7
PackageArchitecture: i386
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-18-generic-pae root=UUID=d51fb0e4-2c6a-4e18-aa5a-10fd3b3b064a ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_CA.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-18.27-generic-pae 2.6.32.10+drm33.1
Tags: lucid
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-18-generic-pae i686
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare
dmi.bios.date: 12/28/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 212
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: UL30A
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr212:bd12/28/2009:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnUL30A:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnUL30A:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: UL30A
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

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[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

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[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

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[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

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[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

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[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

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[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

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[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

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[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

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[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Beta amd64 (20100318)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. UL30A
Package: udev 151-7
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-18-generic root=UUID=22f0eb54-0e42-4342-92a7-a6889f655940 ro usbcore.autosuspend=1 acpi_osi=Linux quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=fr_FR.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-18.27-generic 2.6.32.10+drm33.1
Tags: lucid
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-18-generic x86_64
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare
dmi.bios.date: 12/28/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 212
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: UL30A
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr212:bd12/28/2009:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnUL30A:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnUL30A:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: UL30A
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

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[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

Also affected by this bug for the beginning of my test of lucid lynx (alpha 3). Was working fine on Ubuntu Karmic Koala.
Other people with UL30A are also affected : http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1434141 (post #2 and #3)

[Zempashi (julien-girardin)]

Note : in the apport-collect , I notice that my kernel boot the "acpi_osi=Linux" option: It's because a friend seems have the same probleme on his eeepc and archlinux. He resolves his bug with this option. I tried but no change for me. I remove this option now

[KlavKalashj (klavkalashj)]

Thanks Jason for the confirmation and the better explanation, what you writes is true for me to 100%. If there is anything I can do to help, please tell me.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better.

Please exercise the steps at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Hotkeys/Troubleshooting to determine at which level your hotkey problems occur, and attach the collected information. In particular, I'm interested in whether you see the correct key codes (in xev or the keymap tool), and whether they produce key release events as well.

Thanks!

[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

After some investigation, it seems like the actual bug has nothing to do with keymap.

Fn+F5/F6 actually does work. Keypresses are recognized as ACPI events (see comment #1 above), and keymap does not show anything ever.

Currently brightness level goes something like this:
Left hand side: what NotifyOSD tells me
Right hand side: actual brightness, compared to what I see in Windows (approx)

50% = very bright - probably 100% -- cannot go above this level!
40% = about 30% brightness
25% = about 50% brightness
10% = about 70% brightness
0% = about 10% brightness

And then, after reaching 0%, when I press brightness down again, Brightness control stops responding to any of my input (it seems to "freeze" for a while).

So the current workaround would be to make sure that you don't press Fn+F5 too many times and just live with mismatch of brightness levels.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

I'm still interested in a keymap -i check (/usr/share/doc/udev/README.keymap.txt.gz) to see whether pressing the keys produces the right key code (brightnessup/brightnessdown), and possible multiple events per keypress.

[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

Sorry for not being clear before but here is some clarification:

keymap -i doens't produce any output for brightness up/down. In fact, none of fn+fX keys show anything when I "keymap -i input/event4". For example, I can use fn+f9 to enable/disable touchpad but "keymap -i" doesn't show anything. Same goes for volume up/down/mute - they work properly but keymap doens't print anything.

Thanks.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

So perhaps they'll appear on a different input device (this happens sometimes on particular models, which have a thing like "Vaio Extra Keys" device. The easiest is probably to just try input/event0, input/event1, and so on until you hit a device which reacts to those Fn keys, or a "No such file or directory" error.

[Brian Neltner (neltnerb)]

Just wanted to mention that this affects me too, but I have nothing notable to add to the discussion I'm afraid.

Are others also getting ACPI errors in dmesg when they change the brightness?

ACPI Exception: AE_AML_PACKAGE_LIMIT, Index (000000010) is beyond end of object (20090903/exoparg2-445)
ACPI Error (psparse-0537): Method parse/execution failed [\_SB_.PCI0.VGA_.GCBL] (Node f7016cf0), AE_AML_PACKAGE_LIMIT

for example.

[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

Looks like I found a problem.

"""sudo /lib/udev/keymap -i input/event7""" gives one of:
scan code: 0x00 key code: switchvideomode
scan code: 0x00 key code: battery
scan code: 0x00 key code: volumedown
scan code: 0x00 key code: stopcd
when I press fn+f5 or fn+f6.

Specifically..
At Brightness (as indicated by OSD) - 0%
Press fn+f6 once - nothing
Press fn+f6 again - nothing
Press fn+f6 again - switchvideomode
Press fn+f6 again - battery
Press fn+f6 again - battery (and brightness reaches the "maximum", doesn't let me go any higher)
Press fn+f5 once - nothing
Press fn+f5 again - nothing
Press fn+f5 again - volumedown
Press fn+f5 again - nothing, then my function keys "freezes" (no longer responds) for a couple minutes.

[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

and yes, I am getting those ACPI exception/errors in dmesg also, exact same thing.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Thanks. So the kernel sends wrong input events then, reassigning.

[KlavKalashj (klavkalashj)]

My dmesg does not say the exact same thing, it says:

[ 3618.126899] ACPI Exception: AE_AML_BUFFER_LIMIT, Index (000000074) is beyond end of object (20090903/exoparg2-445)
[ 3618.126922] ACPI Error (psparse-0537): Method parse/execution failed [\_SB_.PCI0.SBRG.EC0_.STBR] (Node ffff88013ba43040), AE_AML_BUFFER_LIMIT
[ 3618.127032] ACPI Error (psparse-0537): Method parse/execution failed [\_SB_.PCI0.VGA_.LCDD._BCM] (Node ffff88013ba3d200), AE_AML_BUFFER_LIMIT
[ 3618.127144] ACPI Error: Evaluating _BCM failed (20090903/video-528)
[ 3618.127154] ACPI: Failed to switch the brightness
[ 3618.138288] ACPI Exception: AE_AML_BUFFER_LIMIT, Index (000000074) is beyond end of object (20090903/exoparg2-445)
[ 3618.138310] ACPI Error (psparse-0537): Method parse/execution failed [\_SB_.PCI0.SBRG.EC0_.STBR] (Node ffff88013ba43040), AE_AML_BUFFER_LIMIT
[ 3618.138420] ACPI Error (psparse-0537): Method parse/execution failed [\_SB_.PCI0.VGA_.LCDD._BCM] (Node ffff88013ba3d200), AE_AML_BUFFER_LIMIT
[ 3618.138533] ACPI Error: Evaluating _BCM failed (20090903/video-528)
[ 3618.143894] ACPI Exception: AE_AML_BUFFER_LIMIT, Index (000000074) is beyond end of object (20090903/exoparg2-445)
[ 3618.143908] ACPI Error (psparse-0537): Method parse/execution failed [\_SB_.PCI0.SBRG.EC0_.STBR] (Node ffff88013ba43040), AE_AML_BUFFER_LIMIT
[ 3618.143975] ACPI Error (psparse-0537): Method parse/execution failed [\_SB_.PCI0.VGA_.LCDD._BCM] (Node ffff88013ba3d200), AE_AML_BUFFER_LIMIT
[ 3618.144044] ACPI Error: Evaluating _BCM failed (20090903/video-528)

Don't know if that's any help...

[Minsang Kim (minsangkim)]

In the mean time, a workaround has been found (from the UL30 mailing list)

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1466758

Edit /etc/default/grub
Change this line to be : GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_backlight=vendor"
call update-grub as root, reboot.

[KlavKalashj (klavkalashj)]

Wow, thank you Minsang Kim! That actually works 100% perfectly for me! :)
I also want to add, if you still want plymouth to show, it also works with:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="quiet splash acpi_backlight=vendor"

So you don't need to remove the default options, just add the last. Thanks again for workaround!

[Carlos (hirs)]

KlavKalashj, thank you for the tip, it worked for me too!

[Manuel Viera (manuel-viera-tirado)]

Thanks you a lot, it worked for me too.

On Sun, May 2, 2010 at 9:04 PM, Carlos <email address hidden> wrote:

> KlavKalashj, thank you for the tip, it worked for me too!
>
> --
> brightness hotkeys don't work as expected, asus ul30a
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/543294
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu: Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> 1) Ubuntu Lucid Lynx beta 1, fully updated
> 2) Don't know the package name
> 3) Brightness goes up or down, depending on which button I press (fn+f5 or
> f6)
> 4) Brightness moves in random direction a couple of times, then stop
> responding
>
> This worked perfectly in Karmic, afaik it's broken since alpha3 (that's
> when I upgraded).
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/543294/+subscribe
>

[markba (mark-baaijens)]

As this was working OK in Karmic, this bug should be marked as regression.

[bhuvi (bhuvanesh)]

same problem for me on lenovo G550 laptop. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/udev/+bug/530238

[Christopher M. Peñalver (penalvch)]

Original Reporter KlavKalashj -> https://launchpad.net/~klavkalashj-deactivatedaccount

[Sergio (tomcat-cdm)]

This issue still exists on 12.04 an Asus UL30A-A2 and similar devices.

The workarround still being valid.

If you need any log file or output to get valid/fresh information, please ask.

[Christopher M. Peñalver (penalvch)]

Sergio, could you please file a new report by executing the following in a terminal:
ubuntu-bug linux

For more on this, please see the Ubuntu Bug Control and Ubuntu Bug Squad article:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/BestPractices#X.2BAC8-Reporting.Focus_on_One_Issue

and Ubuntu Community article:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs

When opening up the new report, please feel free to subscribe me to it. Thank you for your understanding.