Fn keys brightness controls on laptop not working

[Timmi]

Mint9, x64, on a Toshiba with core2duo (intel t5200), centrino (intel graphics, wifi, lan):

I have a very standard and prevalent chipset (and graphics).

The Fn keys are not detected on install, and don't work with ANY of the utilities available in Synaptic. )Most importantly (to me) is brightness control, as this laptop is now used more as a stationary machine, but to others the other FN key functionality is probably quite important as well.)

It was working at one point, in Mint 8. But then reinstalled Mint8 and it no longer worked (some things were disabled in Mint8 in the end, and taken out of hte repositories, while they were working on the next release Mint9 - I can think of Skype and a couple of others, for example). So they probably already know what that is, and it's probably easy to put that back in again.

[Timmi (cadout)]

Mint8 i386
Mint9 x64

[Clement Lefebvre (clementlefebvre)]

Marking as upstream.

[Victor Vargas (kamus)]

I have reassigned this issue to linux kernel package.

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

Hi Timmi,

Please be sure to confirm this issue exists with the latest development release of Ubuntu. ISO CD images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ . If the issue remains, please run the following command from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal). It will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report.

apport-collect -p linux 577514

Also, if you could test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . 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. Please let us know your results.

Thanks in advance.

    [This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[bhuvi (bhuvanesh)]

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

[Timmi (cadout)]

Hi Jeremy,

I've installed the latest Mint9 32bit, and also ordered a new keyboard to be
on the safe side, and brightness is working.

I did comment back requesting that we wait until I get the new keyboard -
don't know if that got lost in the shuffle.

Thanks for your investigation on this.

Best regards,
Timm

On Wed, Jun 2, 2010 at 10:36, Jeremy Foshee <email address hidden>wrote:

> Hi Timmi,
>
> Please be sure to confirm this issue exists with the latest development
> release of Ubuntu. ISO CD images are available from
> http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ . If the issue remains,
> please run the following command from a Terminal
> (Applications->Accessories->Terminal). It will automatically gather and
> attach updated debug information to this report.
>
> apport-collect -p linux 577514
>
> Also, if you could test the latest upstream kernel available that would be
> great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue.
> Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . 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. Please let us know your results.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> [This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you
> inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]
>
>
> ** Tags added: needs-kernel-logs
>
> ** Tags added: needs-upstream-testing
>
> ** Tags added: kj-triage
>
> ** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> Fn keys brightness controls on laptop not working
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/577514
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in The Linux Mint Distribution: Triaged
> Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Mint9, x64, on a Toshiba with core2duo (intel t5200), centrino (intel
> graphics, wifi, lan):
>
> I have a very standard and prevalent chipset (and graphics).
>
> The Fn keys are not detected on install, and don't work with ANY of the
> utilities available in Synaptic. )Most importantly (to me) is brightness
> control, as this laptop is now used more as a stationary machine, but to
> others the other FN key functionality is probably quite important as well.)
>
> It was working at one point, in Mint 8. But then reinstalled Mint8 and it
> no longer worked (some things were disabled in Mint8 in the end, and taken
> out of hte repositories, while they were working on the next release Mint9 -
> I can think of Skype and a couple of others, for example). So they probably
> already know what that is, and it's probably easy to put that back in again.
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/+bug/577514/+subscribe
>

[Timmi (cadout)]

I've installed the latest Mint9 32bit, and also ordered a new keyboard to be on the safe side, and brightness is working now, although there are less intermediate steps between low and high.

However now it is separated into 4 levels - I believe it used to be 10.

I did write back requesting that we wait until I get the new keyboard - don't know if that got lost in the shuffle.

[Pavol Klačanský (pavolzetor-deactivatedaccount)]

could you provide data here? http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9800743#post9800743

IMHO I know what causes this problem, kernel increases brightness but also gnome-power-manager, I am investigating and will post my findings

[MF (mauro-furno)]

Mint 10 RC, x64 on Toshiba T130-15F.

Brightness cannot be dimmed (although I can see on-screen notifications when pressing FN+F6/F7) and brightness applet does not work

[Shiyam M (mshiyamsam)]

Hello everyone. I am Shiyam. I have this same problem, i'm new to this community, however, I would love to fix this issue, for linux mint, please help. I do not have any guide.

[Timmi (cadout)]

"Christopher M. Penalver (penalvch) wrote on 2013-09-28: this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently."

Seriously? Why are you resurrecting this 3 years later? Is that version even still supported?
As for me, it was several laptops ago (and several versions of Mint ago), so I can't help you with that.