doesn't dim screen on SONY VAIO (vgn FS215M / Z1 RMP) (regression)

Just for completeness, running gnome-power-manager --no-daemon --verbose, I get:

[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:301 (18:00:27): Setting 1 of 7
*** WARNING ***
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:308 (18:00:27): An unknown error occured
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:301 (18:00:27): Setting 2 of 7
*** WARNING ***
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:308 (18:00:27): An unknown error occured
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:301 (18:00:27): Setting 3 of 7
*** WARNING ***
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:308 (18:00:27): An unknown error occured
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:301 (18:00:27): Setting 4 of 7
*** WARNING ***
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:308 (18:00:27): An unknown error occured
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:301 (18:00:27): Setting 5 of 7
*** WARNING ***
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:308 (18:00:27): An unknown error occured
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:301 (18:00:27): Setting 6 of 7
*** WARNING ***
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:308 (18:00:27): An unknown error occured
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:301 (18:00:27): Setting 7 of 7
*** WARNING ***
[gpm_brightness_set_hw] gpm-brightness.c:308 (18:00:27): An unknown error occured

I can confirm this behavior on a sony vgn-fs790. It worked fine on dapper

It looks like this is more generic regression on multiple Sony laptops.
See duplicate bug 67074 where the problem is on Sony FJ170 .

This is a clarification on my previous post. On a sony vaio vgn-fs790, whats strange is I cannot set the brightness using the settings on gnome-power-manager. However, I can explicitly set the brightness by running (as root):

echo "1" > /proc/acpi/sony/brightness
(for maximal dimming)

echo "8" > /proc/acpi/sony/brightness
(for maximum brightness)

Hopefully, that helps. I don't know if this is reproducible on other sony vaio laptops.

the same under my sony vaio Z1RMP see #60588

Try this:

sudo mv /bin/sh /bin/sh.bak
sudo ln -s /bin/bash /bin/sh

Then try to change brightness in g-p-m. If it works by hand but not when
you unplug AC... it's AC event problem and you should wait until the
first battery event happends.

--
Pedro Martínez Juliá
\ <email address hidden>
)| WebLog: http://www.pedromj.com/blog
/ Página web: http://www.pedromj.com
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Socio HispaLinux #311
Usuario Linux #275438 - http://counter.li.org

it's working ! thks

Thanks Pedro,

That worked although it would be good to know why.

d

On 11/1/06, Pedro Martínez Juliá <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Try this:
>
> sudo mv /bin/sh /bin/sh.bak
> sudo ln -s /bin/bash /bin/sh
>
> Then try to change brightness in g-p-m. If it works by hand but not when
> you unplug AC... it's AC event problem and you should wait until the
> first battery event happends.
>
> --
> Pedro Martínez Juliá
> \ <email address hidden>
> )| WebLog: http://www.pedromj.com/blog
> / Página web: http://www.pedromj.com
> GoogleTalk: <email address hidden>
> Socio HispaLinux #311
> Usuario Linux #275438 - http://counter.li.org
>
> --
> doesn't dim screen on SONY VAIO (vgn FS215M / Z1 RMP) (regression)
> https://launchpad.net/bugs/65028
>

It works because "dash" is the default "/bin/sh" in Edgy and the scripts
that change the brightness depends on "let" that is not implemented in
"dash".

--
Pedro Martínez Juliá
\ <email address hidden>
)| WebLog: http://www.pedromj.com/blog
/ Página web: http://www.pedromj.com
GoogleTalk: <email address hidden>
Socio HispaLinux #311
Usuario Linux #275438 - http://counter.li.org

The workaround in comment 6 in this thread works for my Vaio VGN-B3XP.

This isn't really a bug with gnome-power-manager IMO: it's a bug with the hal deb. I've enclosed a patch against hal_0.5.7.1 which appears to fix it for me.

--

If you're an ordinary user and you just want to mend a running edgy so that backlight dimming when on battery works on a Sony laptop, just replace

    $((value + 1))

in /usr/share/hal/scripts/hal-system-lcd-set-brightness with:

    $(($value + 1))

and that should fix it. You'll need admin rights to do this: open a terminal and type

  sudo gedit /usr/share/hal/scripts/hal-system-lcd-set-brightness

and press return. Then make the change above, save, and quit. The change should take effect immediately.

Sorry, disregard the last patch. Forgot the -get- script :(

This one is just a replacement debian/patches/09_sony_brightness.patch .

--

Ordinary users who Just Want It Fixed may find it's simpler to do what Pedro mentioned in comment 6 above and ignore everything I've said.

If you want to fix it without making bash your default shell though, try changing

       let "value = ${value} - 1"

in /usr/share/hal/scripts/hal-system-lcd-get-brightness to

        value="$(($value - 1))"

as well as doing the thing above. Hope it works out for you :)

i confirm the bug on a vgn fe 21B with edgy.

julius

confirmed on a Vaio VGN-G1 and solved by changing #!/bin/sh to #!/bin/bash in both set and get for good measure.

redirecting to hal to notify the right people

fixed in feisty

I can confirm this bug for Feisty on Sony VAIO SZ340 (with intel video)

solved with making link to /bin/bash for /bin/sh

Vyacheslav, is the dimming failing on your machine? This bug is marked 'Fix released' - is that wrong? Should it be 'Fix committed'?

not working yet in feisty. vaio s560p