backlight not appearing in sysfs nor laptop_panel in lshal for sony vaio fz

[Schmirrwurst]

There is no backlight files in my sysfs. I've already reported a bug in hal https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/hal/+bug/345531

But I think to have understood that I get no "laptop_panel" from lshal because the kernel is not supporting properly my hardware... ? it seems that sysfs nor lshal know about backlight/laptop_panel...

My understanding is that it should be a kernel issue...

I've just read that karmic is going to use udev-extras, and devicekit-power, should I add those pkg to the report, or do it has to be fixed in the kernel first ?

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.04
HibernationDevice: RESUME=/dev/sda2
MachineType: Sony Corporation VGN-FZ21E
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: linux-image-2.6.28-11-generic 2.6.28-11.42
ProcCmdLine: root=/dev/sda6 ro nobluetooth nofirewire splash quiet
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=
 LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.28-11.42-generic
SourcePackage: linux

[lspci]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation G86 [GeForce 8400M GT] [10de:0426] (rev a1)
     Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:9005]

[Schmirrwurst (schmirrwurst)]

Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=d60a5f8d-9a77-4727-a626-12b16ea15eec
MachineType: Sony Corporation VGN-FZ21E
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=0918e4be-9bb8-4304-8f19-1fd016c6837b ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8
 LANGUAGE=
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.30-6.7-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:

Uname: Linux 2.6.30-6-generic x86_64
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare
dmi.bios.date: 07/04/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: R1120J7
dmi.board.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.board.name: VAIO
dmi.board.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.board.version: N/A
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvrR1120J7:bd07/04/2007:svnSonyCorporation:pnVGN-FZ21E:pvrC3LPXCR7:rvnSonyCorporation:rnVAIO:rvrN/A:cvnSonyCorporation:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: VGN-FZ21E
dmi.product.version: C3LPXCR7
dmi.sys.vendor: Sony Corporation

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Setting this to Triaged, but please continue to work with the upstream developers as you've already been doing. Just in case it may help, Ubuntu does provide mainline kernel builds available for testing, see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Thanks.

[Schmirrwurst (schmirrwurst)]

Upstream, the kernel team is saying that it is a platform driver issue or bios... sony is not supporting linux, so I think the only way to have it fix before 2050 is to bring the nvidia driver to manage backlight (also in /sys and /proc) so adding nvidia pkg to the report...

[Schmirrwurst (schmirrwurst)]

Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
MachineType: Sony Corporation VGN-FZ21E
Package: nvidia-glx-180 185.18.14-0ubuntu1
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=0918e4be-9bb8-4304-8f19-1fd016c6837b ro initcall_debug
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8
 LANGUAGE=
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-1.13-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu4
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.5~rc4-1ubuntu2
 libdrm2 2.4.11-0ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.7.99.1+git20090602.ec2fde7c-0ubuntu4
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.12.99+git20090629.f39cafc5-0ubuntu1
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-1-generic x86_64
UserGroups:

dmi.bios.date: 07/04/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies LTD
dmi.bios.version: R1120J7
dmi.board.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.board.name: VAIO
dmi.board.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.board.version: N/A
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologiesLTD:bvrR1120J7:bd07/04/2007:svnSonyCorporation:pnVGN-FZ21E:pvrC3LPXCR7:rvnSonyCorporation:rnVAIO:rvrN/A:cvnSonyCorporation:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: VGN-FZ21E
dmi.product.version: C3LPXCR7
dmi.sys.vendor: Sony Corporation
fglrx: Not loaded
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 architecture: x86_64kernel: 2.6.31-1-generic

[Schmirrwurst (schmirrwurst)]

I could read on the internet, that sony is using an unconventional way for backlight support, it is using directly the nvidia chip to do so... I hope this can help...

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

This bug report was marked as Triaged a while ago but has not had any updated comments for quite some time. Please let us know if this issue remains in the current Ubuntu release, http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download . If the issue remains, click on the current status under the Status column and change the status back to "New". Thanks.

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

[Robert Hooker (sarvatt)]

Can you try adding this line:

Option "RegistryDwords" "EnableBrightnessControl=1"

to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf at the bottom of the device section? It's not something we can globally enable but it does fix many issues similar to this.

[Schmirrwurst (schmirrwurst)]

Doesn't work for me, no change

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug was filed against a series that is no longer supported and so is being marked as Won't Fix. If this issue still exists in a supported series, please file a new bug.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.