Thinkpad R61i : Brightness Problem with Fn keys

[umesh debian]

Hi All,

I have installed Debian Lenny on my machine(Thinkpad R61i). I am using
custom kernel 2.6.25.6 with changes for USB modems.
The ALSA sound module is working fine and the Volume keys are working
with the GUI indication(volume is going up and down).

But the Brightness keys (Fn+Pgup or Pgdwn) are not working fine. The
GUI indication is happening but the Brightness is neither going down
nor up.

But if in ROOT console i manipulate brightness through the proc file
system, then brightness is getting changed.

This brings down brightness
echo 4 > /proc/acpi/ibm/cmos


This brings up brightness
echo 5 > /proc/acpi/ibm/cmos

During this too i am getting the GUI indication from the tpb module.

Any suggestions on how to debug this?? I am using KDE 3.5.9

Regards,
Umesh


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[root-226]

On Fri, 22 Aug 2008, umesh debian wrote:

>I have installed Debian Lenny on my machine(Thinkpad R61i). I am using
>custom kernel 2.6.25.6 with changes for USB modems.
>The ALSA sound module is working fine and the Volume keys are working
>with the GUI indication(volume is going up and down).

>But the Brightness keys (Fn+Pgup or Pgdwn) are not working fine. The
>GUI indication is happening but the Brightness is neither going down
>nor up.

thats ok

>But if in ROOT console i manipulate brightness through the proc file
>system, then brightness is getting changed.
>
>This brings down brightness
>echo 4 > /proc/acpi/ibm/cmos
>
>This brings up brightness
>echo 5 > /proc/acpi/ibm/cmos
>
>During this too i am getting the GUI indication from the tpb module.
>
>Any suggestions on how to debug this?? I am using KDE 3.5.9

you have some players here..

first the "thinkpad_acpi" kernel module
    - it handles all your special buttons
    - it has tweaks for varios old configs like the /proc interface
    - it allows to modify how the buttons should work

old model:
    - the kernel did nothing
    - the userspace polled with tools like tpd the state and changed it
    - not a good solution

new model:
    - the kernel handels everything
    - userspace has to tell the kernel how it should be done
   
    here is your problem. the thinkpad_acpi module per default doesn't
handle brightness, because the newer X servers in combination with hal
should do it.


so take a look at
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-2.6.26.y.git;a=blob_plain;f=Documentation/laptops/thinkpad-acpi.txt;hb=HEAD
Line: 534, Compatibility notes

--
Florian Reitmeir


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[Orlin Vasilev]

--- On Fri, 8/22/08, umesh debian <umesh.debian@...> wrote:

> From: umesh debian <umesh.debian@...>
> Subject: Thinkpad R61i : Brightness Problem with Fn keys
> To: "SmartList" <debian-laptop@...>
> Date: Friday, August 22, 2008, 9:00 AM
> Hi All,
>
> I have installed Debian Lenny on my machine(Thinkpad R61i).
> I am using
> custom kernel 2.6.25.6 with changes for USB modems.
> The ALSA sound module is working fine and the Volume keys
> are working
> with the GUI indication(volume is going up and down).
>
> But the Brightness keys (Fn+Pgup or Pgdwn) are not working
> fine. The
> GUI indication is happening but the Brightness is neither
> going down
> nor up.
>
> But if in ROOT console i manipulate brightness through the
> proc file
> system, then brightness is getting changed.
>
> This brings down brightness
> echo 4 > /proc/acpi/ibm/cmos
>
>
> This brings up brightness
> echo 5 > /proc/acpi/ibm/cmos
>
> During this too i am getting the GUI indication from the
> tpb module.
>
> Any suggestions on how to debug this?? I am using KDE 3.5.9
>
> Regards,
> Umesh
>
>
> --
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to
> debian-laptop-REQUEST@...
> with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact
> listmaster@...

You can try to replace the driver I had the same problem with Nvidia drivers. Try new one!

------------------------------------

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Use Linux!!!

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-----------------------------------





     


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[umesh debian]

>> But if in ROOT console i manipulate brightness through the proc file
>> system, then brightness is getting changed.
>>
>> This brings down brightness
>> echo 4 > /proc/acpi/ibm/cmos
>>
>> This brings up brightness
>> echo 5 > /proc/acpi/ibm/cmos
>>
>> During this too i am getting the GUI indication from the tpb module.
>>
>> Any suggestions on how to debug this?? I am using KDE 3.5.9
>
> you have some players here..
>
> first the "thinkpad_acpi" kernel module
>   - it handles all your special buttons
>   - it has tweaks for varios old configs like the /proc interface
>   - it allows to modify how the buttons should work
>
> old model:
>   - the kernel did nothing
>   - the userspace polled with tools like tpd the state and changed it
>   - not a good solution
>
> new model:
>   - the kernel handels everything
>   - userspace has to tell the kernel how it should be done
>     here is your problem. the thinkpad_acpi module per default doesn't
> handle brightness, because the newer X servers in combination with hal
> should do it.
>
>
> so take a look at
> http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-2.6.26.y.git;a=blob_plain;f=Documentation/laptops/thinkpad-acpi.txt;hb=HEAD
> Line: 534, Compatibility notes
>
> --
> Florian Reitmeir
>

I suppose R61i has ACPI backlight control. But i compiled the kernel
with ACPI video enabled. Will that not take care of this issue? Is
there something to do with Root and User permissions?can u give more
inputs regarding section starting from line 607( Lenovo models *with*
ACPI backlight control)  in the above text, like what steps i can do
to debug this?


Thanks and regards,
Umesh


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[umesh debian]

>
> You can try to replace the driver I had the same problem with Nvidia drivers. Try new one!
>

I updated my xorg-intel driver last week, as there was a mail
regarding it being updated. Still the same issue.

Regards,
Umesh


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[umesh debian]

>
> 'xbacklight - simple utility to set the backlight level'
>
> but.. thinkpad_acpi will handle the keys for you.
>

I installed xbacklight, but it does not seem to solve the problem, no
brightness control with Fn keys. I tried invoking in frm the root
terminal, but the following error comes:

Cannot open display "debian:0.0"

Any inputs?

Regards,
Umesh


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[umesh debian]

> if you get this message one of the following things is true:
>   - you are on the wrong host
Not sure about that. I logged in as user. cannot login as root into X.

>   - you screwed up your X session
Not sure about that either. But recently i updated the Xorg intel .
Would this have messed up the Xorg conf.

>   - no other X programm is working
yes. X session is running.

>   - your entries in /etc/hosts are wrong
Below is the etc/hosts entirs :
-----------
127.0.0.1       localhost
127.0.1.1       debian

# The following lines are desirable for IPv6 capable hosts
::1     ip6-localhost ip6-loopback
fe00::0 ip6-localnet
ff00::0 ip6-mcastprefix
ff02::1 ip6-allnodes
ff02::2 ip6-allrouters
ff02::3 ip6-allhosts
-----------

>   - someone/sometool set the DISPLAY env variable wrong
I was doing some experiments using export DISPLAY for the problem.
That y the DISPLAY was showing "debian:0.0.
I have rebooted and below is the DISPLAY varibales:
---------
debian:~# echo $DISPLAY
:0.0
debian:~# xbacklight -get
No protocol specified
Cannot open display ":0.0"
debian:~#
---------
>
> if you are on the correct host, with the correct user:
>   then setting DISPLAY to :0.0 should work.
Still not working

>
> but normal if you get the error, no other X programm like firefox,
> xclock, any kde or gnome programm is working.
Other X programs are runnig : iceweasel, KPPP dialler , ktorrent etc

Any inputs regarding the above?

Regards,
Umesh


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