Asus X401A brightness through Fn keys not working

English Hardware
#1

Hi everybody.

I’m new to openSUSE but had rich experience with Debian and FreeBSD in past.

After a long time I decided to return to Linux back again and chosen openSUSE, because openSUSE use more fresh versions of software, than Debian and currently I run Linux as my home system, not a server, so I prefer freshness instead of stability.

Everything is working flawlessly, even wifi driver, except the Fn keys for regulating display brightness. I’ve searched a little bit and found out that it might be Intel driver problem and could be solved by adding Index of /repositories/X11:/XOrg/openSUSE_12.3 as a software repository and switching to it, then downloading latest Intel drivers from there. It didn’t helped though.

Then I’ve found a post here, on openSUSE forums, where people said that following options to GRUB could fix the problem:


acpi_backlight=vendor acpi_osi=Linux

I’ve added it through YaST, in the [Optional Kernel Command Line Parameter] field, then checked it in the /etc/default/grub. It was under GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT. It didn’t helped me either.

I cannot regulate brightness through KDE too. When I try to move brightness slider to left or right in Energy Saving (on appropriate tab of course), it has no effect. Display brightness remains same.

Though I can regulate brightness by:


echo 1000 > /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness

Here is lspci output:


chekh:/home/chekh # lspci -nnk | grep -i vga -A2
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0106] (rev 09)
        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:14f7]
        Kernel driver in use: i915
chekh:/home/chekh #

Other Fn keys work as expected (volume + or -, mute, disable/enable touchpad etc.)

Hope you can help me to solve my problem. Thanks! :slight_smile:

#2

I have the same problem with my Asus F201E-KX062DU, although in my case I can`t regulate the brightness at all.

#3

JakobAbfalter wrote:

>
> I have the same problem with my Asus
> F201E-KX062DU, although in my case I can`t regulate the brightness at
> all.
Evently help acpi_osi=Linux acpi_backlight=vendor as bootparameter on
Grub.

>

#4

As I wrote earlier, I have tried to add those parameters to GRUB and it failed to help me.

#5

After adding that parameter, did you run the following command?

grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
#6

What exactly do you mean by adding the parameter?
I typed acpi_osi=Linux acpi_backlight=vendor into the terminal and than did the grub command that you wrote, but it didn`t change anything.

I found out that in my case this also works

echo 1000 > /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness

#7

You don’t have to run it into the terminal.
Add it to the end of the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX variable in the /etc/default/grub file.
Then run the* grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg* command to update the configuration …
It forces to load the vendor specific driver (e.g. thinkpad_acpi, sony_acpi, etc.) instead of the ACPI video.ko driver …

#8

thanks for the explanation, didnt help sadly.

#9

You can use the following bash script to make easy edits to your grub 2 config fies: https://forums.opensuse.org/blogs/jdmcdaniel3/gnu-grub2-command-listing-helper-help-input-106/

Thank You,

#10

I have checked again: here is my /etc/default/grub file head:


# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Mon Oct 14 15:57:02 AMT 2013
# THIS FILE WILL BE PARTIALLY OVERWRITTEN by perl-Bootloader
# For the new kernel it try to figure out old parameters. In case we are not able to recognize it (e.g. change of flavor or strange install order ) it it use as fallback installation parameters from /etc/sysconfig/bootloader

# If you change this file, run 'grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub2/grub.cfg.
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="openSUSE 12.3"
GRUB_DEFAULT=saved
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=8
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=" resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-TOSHIBA_MQ01ABD032_62I4F0D0S-part2 splash=silent quiet showopts acpi_backlight=vendor acpi_osi=Linux"
# kernel command line options for failsafe mode
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_RECOVERY="showopts apm=off noresume edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

I have executed grub2-mkconfig as root, with key “-o” and parameter /boot/grub2/grub.cfg, then rebooted.

When I press Fn + f12, e.g., (that’s volume up button), I have thing on my screen, with the volume indicator (100% e.g.). When I click on Fn + f6 (brightness up), nothing appears.

When I click on the battery indicator, I have the screen brightness indicator. I can move the slider to left or right and appropriate brightness value is shown, nevertheless, no reaction on display. Brightness isn’t decreased or increased.

#11

I’ve saw this script few topics above. It can be assigned to the brightness hotkeys, if properly modified (my suggestion is added as a comment above sudo setpci). What you think about that?


#!/bin/bash
export SEED=50
if  ! -f ~/.brightness ]; then
       echo 255 > ~/.brightness;
fi
export BRIGHTNESS=`cat ~/.brightness`
case "$1" in
       "up")
               export BRIGHTNESS=$$BRIGHTNESS+$SEED];
       ;;
       "down")
               export BRIGHTNESS=$$BRIGHTNESS-$SEED];
       ;;
       *)
               export BRIGHTNESS=1;
       ;;
esac
if  "$BRIGHTNESS" -gt "255" ]; then
       export BRIGHTNESS=255;
fi
if  "$BRIGHTNESS" -gt "0" ]; then
       echo $BRIGHTNESS > ~/.brightness
#sudo echo `printf '%x' $BRIGHTNESS` > /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness
sudo setpci -s 00:02.0 F4.B=`printf '%x' $BRIGHTNESS`
fi
if  "$BRIGHTNESS" -lt "0" ]; then
       echo "This makes your screen off";
fi
#12

Couldn’t find how to edit my post, so adding modified script version as a reply:


#!/bin/bash
export SEED=300
if  ! -f ~/.brightness ]; then
       echo 2000 > ~/.brightness;
fi
export BRIGHTNESS=`cat ~/.brightness`
case "$1" in
       "up")
               export BRIGHTNESS=$$BRIGHTNESS+$SEED];
       ;;
       "down")
               export BRIGHTNESS=$$BRIGHTNESS-$SEED];
       ;;
       *)
               export BRIGHTNESS=1;
       ;;
esac
if  "$BRIGHTNESS" -gt "4295" ]; then
       export BRIGHTNESS=4295;
fi
if  "$BRIGHTNESS" -gt "0" ]; then
      echo $BRIGHTNESS > ~/.brightness
      sudo echo `printf '%d' $BRIGHTNESS` > /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness
fi
if  "$BRIGHTNESS" -lt "0" ]; then
       echo "This makes your screen off";
fi

I’ve failed to assign this script to Fn+F5 (with key down) and Fn+F6 (with key up), so I’ve added it to Ctrl+(F5|F6) respectively.
Now I can regulate my screen brightness using my shortcuts. However, if you find a way how to assign a shortcut using Fn keys, or to fix this problem correctly (because I think it’s temporary workaround), I would greatly appreciate your feedback.

Thanks!

#13

I confirm that with update to 13.1 all is working as expected. If anybody didn’t upgrade, then try to install 3.11.6-4 kernel.

#14

You could try to add a newer kernel …
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