# backlight not adjustable...

## Angrychile

```

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)

00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)

00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)

00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)

00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 03)

00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 03)

00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)

00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)

00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)

00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)

00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f3)

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)

00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller (rev 03)

00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03)

00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)

02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller (rev 01)

06:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection (rev 02)

```

I enabled low level LCD  control. xbacklight doesn't work, and /proc/acpi/video has a "GFX0" directory in it with a number of directories which each have  a "brightness" file in them, but `cat brightness' always returns "<not supported>"...

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## audiodef

I assume this is for a laptop.

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## Angrychile

Yes, you are correct.

Funny, you have almost the exact brands and specs for my desktop pc  :Smile:  But this backlight issue is for my laptop. Again, xbacklight works in changing some number somewhere, but the actual brightness doesn't change.

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## audiodef

There should be a function key combo on your keyboard for backlight. Don't those work?

Desktop setup: Hey, good stuff is good stuff!   :Cool: 

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## Angrychile

I did an experiment...sort of. They work in changing the value returned by xbacklight. Same with the brightness adjustments in kde power thing. It all changes some value somewhere but the backlight itself doesn't change. If it helps, I have a gateway M-152s, the LCD Display model number is ...2528391R

The link doesn't help much, but may be if anyone has the same screen...

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## audiodef

This one?

http://support.gateway.com/s//Mobile/2008/Tempest/2906033R/2906033Rnv.shtml

So holding down the Fn key and pressing the up and down arrows (with the blue sun icon on them) do nothing? I thought these functions were hardwired into laptops. I've never had to touch anything to get Fn keys to work, on any OS.

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## Angrychile

Yup, the same model, only mine is red  :Smile: 

And no, the buttons do nothing, but as I said, it does change the number printed by xbacklight and the "brightness" meter on my battery dialog in kde.

```

angrysoil@portablewriter ~ $ xbacklight

28.571429

angrysoil@portablewriter ~ $ #then i go fn up

angrysoil@portablewriter ~ $ xbacklight

71.428571

angrysoil@portablewriter ~ $ #then fn down

angrysoil@portablewriter ~ $ xbacklight

0.000000

angrysoil@portablewriter ~ $ #actual brightness...no change.

```

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## audiodef

Is it new and still under warranty? I wonder if this could be a hardware problem. 

If you're sure it's not, allow me to recommend trying Pappy's Kernel Seeds. Once you've got a seed configured, converse with Pappy about this problem. If the problem can be solved by tweaking your kernel/drivers, there's a good chance he can help you get there.

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## Goverp

 *Angrychile wrote:*   

> ...
> 
> And no, the buttons do nothing, but as I said, it does change the number printed by xbacklight and the "brightness" meter on my battery dialog in kde.
> 
> ...

 

Sounds like the hardware isn't obeying the rules, which often means there's a fix due in the BIOS.

Back when I had a company IBM Thinkpad, I'd get prompted to update its BIOS probably every three months.  Now I've Acer and Asus machines, they seem to hide BIOS upgrades.  In fact AFAIR Acer tells me I've invalidated my warranty by updating it, though I'd already done that by breaking the seal to open the box and add a hard drive.

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## audiodef

++ on checking for a BIOS update.

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## Angrychile

Ok, will do...something to note is that...occasionally, it does work before the framebuffer starts.

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## audiodef

 *Angrychile wrote:*   

> Ok, will do...something to note is that...occasionally, it does work before the framebuffer starts.

 

That just reinforces my suspicion that the hardware itself is malfunctioning. If you'd said that it ALWAYS works before fb starts, then clearly it is software. But if it only occasionally works under the same conditions, then it's most likely hardware.

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## Angrychile

The only available thing is only usable through windows   :Sad: 

http://support.gateway.com/support/drivers/getFile.asp?id=23262&dscr=Gateway%20BIOS%20Version:%2077.15&uid=285834030

And, although this is stupid, I tried running it through wine  :Razz: , and I get this:

```

$ wine 7715.EXE 

err:dosmem:DOSMEM_MapDosLayout Need full access to the first megabyte for DOS mode

```

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## audiodef

This looks like a BIOS update. First, make sure your existing BIOS is in fact older than this one. Second, BIOS updates, as far as I know, are installed with a bootable drive (CD or floppy). Download the file, unzip it, and look through the files. There may be instructions about creating a boot CD, which you would then likely be able to do in Linux.

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