[MacBookPro10,1] Backlight stopped working after update of linux-image with nvidia 313.30

[Bruno Beaufils]

I am using Ubuntu 13.04, nvidia 313.30, fresh installation from scratch, on a MacBookPro10,1 (the one with Retina display). Two of my partition are encrypted (swap and /srv on which /home is bind mounted).Since some upgrade to linux-image-3.8.0-24 backlight control does not work anymore. I am stuck with 3.8.0-23 in order to get something kind of working (I have to go in sleep mode at least once in order to get backlight control available). The last "almost working" kernel is 3.8.0-23. I even tried 3.9.0-030900 "upstream" kernel with no success. Everything was working fine with the first installation of 13.04.

Using nouveau instead of nvidia-binary is no workaround unfortunately :-(

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: linux-image-3.8.0-23-generic 3.8.0-23.34
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-23.34-generic 3.8.11
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-23-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8.1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: bruno 2696 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: bruno 2696 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA:
 country FR:
  (2402 - 2482 @ 40), (N/A, 20)
  (5170 - 5250 @ 40), (N/A, 20)
  (5250 - 5330 @ 40), (N/A, 20), DFS
  (5490 - 5710 @ 40), (N/A, 27), DFS
Date: Wed Jun 12 21:02:22 2013
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=a703c1e3-dfc2-46af-9905-b21abb747366
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-02-06 (126 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64+mac (20121017.3)
MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBookPro10,1
MarkForUpload: True
ProcFB: 0 EFI VGA
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-23-generic root=UUID=5cafafc5-a506-4205-b6ba-e9fed6f9db99 ro quiet splash nomodeset vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.8.0-23-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.8.0-23-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.106
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to raring on 2013-04-05 (68 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 08/08/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MBP101.88Z.00EE.B02.1208081132
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag#
dmi.board.name: Mac-C3EC7CD22292981F
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.board.version: MacBookPro10,1
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-C3EC7CD22292981F
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMBP101.88Z.00EE.B02.1208081132:bd08/08/2012:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBookPro10,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-C3EC7CD22292981F:rvrMacBookPro10,1:cvnAppleInc.:ct10:cvrMac-C3EC7CD22292981F:
dmi.product.name: MacBookPro10,1
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[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 v3.10 kernel[0].

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/v3.10-rc5-saucy/

[Bruno Beaufils (beaufils)]

I tested it but the whole process was a nightmare and completely broke my box and make me lose my whole day (I can not bear the Apple jingle anymore ;-).

I was, for instance, forced to re-bootrepair grub to relocate EFI on its own partition (do not understand why yet).

Good news is that with that 3.10 kernel and using nouveau backlight is working.

Bad news is that resume from sleep is not working anymore (screen comes back **very** quickly but then everything is freezed).

Thus I am not willing to tag with kernel-fixed-upstream since the laptop becomes unusable (I consider no resume as unusable for such a laptop).

Just for the record :

- I was using 3.8.0-23 with nvidia binary proprietary driver and was "almost" able to work well (sleep/resume OK 2/3 of the times, backlight OK once at least one suspend/resume has been done, no access to text console since modeset was off).

- After testing this mainline kernel and booting back with 3.8.0-23 I am using nouveau free driver (backlight is OK, suspend/text is no more available, console is OK since modeset is on).

The strange thing is that now "Softwares Sources and Drivers" do not show the possibility to switch back to nvidia binary driver anymore. I will try it by hand on command line...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Bruno Beaufils (beaufils)]

Tried all new proposed kernels, as in bug #1169376 comment, but no changes...

[Bruno Beaufils (beaufils)]

BTW, I use EFI boot.

[Bruno Beaufils (beaufils)]

Nothing new with kernels in 13.10. Last kernel which is able to control backlight (after a suspend/resume cycle only) is 3.8.0-22.

Something strange is that I filed bug #1240005, which has been confirmed, and which is able to fade the screen, with any kernels I tried.

[Bruno Beaufils (beaufils)]

The issue still exists with up to date 13.10 (kernel 3.11.0-15-generic).

I will try to boot with a daily image and put a comment here in order if it still exist with development release.

[Bruno Beaufils (beaufils)]

No working backlight with daily-live ISO image downloaded yesterday :-(

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Bruno Beaufils, thank you for performing the requested test. As a potential WORKAROUND, could you please add each of the following kernel boot parameters individually and advise if you may adjust the backlight:
acpi_backlight=vendor
video.use_bios_initial_backlight=0

As well, if you remove the nomodeset kernel parameter, does it change anything?

[Bruno Beaufils (beaufils)]

Nothing changes with any of the boot parameters you asked me to try, separately.

I tried thoses parameters only with the current stable ubuntu kernel (3.11.0-15-generic). I also tried, separately, to set i915.modeset=1 with no more luck.

The current boot parameters are these one :

quiet i915.lvds_channel_mode=2 i915.modeset=0 i915.lvds_use_ssc=0 splash acpi_osi=

BTW, I use nvidia binary Xorg driver (nvidia-319-updates).

My only workaround to date is to boot with the old kernel (3.8.0-22.23), put the laptop in sleep mode once, wake it up and then I got backlight control working.

[Bruno Beaufils (beaufils)]

I modified the bug description since using nouveau (as it is the case with live iso images) instead of nvidia-binary does not change anything withe respect to backlight.

[Bruno Beaufils (beaufils)]

LTS is coming and no change with this bug: last working kernel is still 3.8.0-22.23.

New kernels (last tried is 3.11.0-19.33) render the MacBook Pro Retina completely unusable without sunglasses.